What to Do If Your Child Is Doodle on the Couch
Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert, advice columnist, and New York Times bestselling author of My Boyfriend Is Boiling In My Purse … And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha About . Her flagship column, Ask a Pure Man, debuted in 2011. Here at Offspring we’ve launched a new iteration dedicated to parenting and all the mess it brings.
Before we get into what to do with large marker clutter on furniture, let me go back and explain the instructions for using rubbing alcohol because they are helpful when dealing with smaller marker clutter. Generally speaking, rubbing alcohol is an ink stain remover. This is true for clothing, upholstery and carpets, as well as many hard surfaces such as countertops or tables.
If ink stains appear on the fabric, blot it with rubbing alcohol. You can use a rag, sponge, or even a cotton pad – the idea is to apply rubbing alcohol to something, which allows you to control the amount you apply directly to the ink stain. The reason is that if you dip an ink stain with liquid, the ink may run out and make you even more messy.
In the case of this particular ink stain, I would suggest pouring rubbing alcohol into a small bowl and using a washcloth as a tool as it is the right size for the job. Dip a rag in a bowl, wring it out very well to keep it damp but not dripping with alcohol, and then wipe off those ink scribbles. I think it will work, but it doesn’t require as much work as applying neatly.
Anyway! Let’s say you don’t even want to mess with alcohol. This is a good and fair choice, and I offer you other options. Appliance and home goods stores like Home Depot and Lowes or of course Amazon are the best choices for finding such items.
Amodex Ink & Stain Remover : It can be used on clothing, furniture, and hard surfaces, so it is a good multi-purpose ink remover.
Guardsman Finished Leather & Vinyl Cleaner Ink Remover Stick : The sofa in question isn’t leather, but it’s a good product to be aware of if you have leather furniture or car seats that your kids get from manufacturers.
Motsenbocker’s Lift Off : Formula # 3 is what you need for ink and can be safely used on hard surfaces such as ceramic, porcelain or wood, and fabrics such as cotton, nylon and wool. It’s probably worth noting that other Motsenbocker Lift Off formulas can be used for latex paint, spray paint, tape, and other adhesives.
One final point to note about suggestions you may see in old cleaning guides or on the internet for using hairspray and / or sunscreen to remove ink stains from different fabrics – the reason they are effective is because they contain alcohol. But! I usually discourage people from using these products, unless they are all you have on hand and you are really stranded because they can cause other problems. In the case of hairspray, it might not even work because most of the newer formulas do not contain alcohol like the old hairsprays did. With sunscreen, you’re pretty limited on the things you can safely use it on (skin, hard surfaces) and you should also schedule an ingredient list check to make sure there’s even alcohol in there so you don’t waste great sunscreen. …