Six Unexpected Ways to Use Erasable Markers at Home
You’ve probably used dry erase markers to mark up your whiteboard in the classroom or office—they’re so common that they’re even replicated in apps that let you keep your whiteboard in your pocket. But have you used them “inappropriately”? There are other uses for erasable markers besides the obvious ones that are actually quite clever. Given that they are very cheap, durable and can often be repaired or refilled once they dry out, they may be worth keeping on hand even if you rarely use the board.
Take notes on glass, stainless steel and more.
You can use dry erase markers on many more surfaces than just a whiteboard—almost any non-porous surface can be used as a dry erase board, including glass, stainless steel, and plastic. These markers use a silicone polymer that prevents ink from penetrating the surface, allowing it to rub off, allowing virtually any smooth, polished surface to serve as a canvas.
If you’re tired of using paper notes for your to-do lists, shopping lists, and friendly reminders to your spouse, kids, and roommates, use dry erase markers instead.
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Use them to write messages on your stainless steel refrigerator, reminding partners, children and roommates of important tasks or appointments.
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If you and your housemates have different schedules, write notes on your car windows or bathroom mirrors to stay in sync (or just say hello).
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Buy chalkboard paint in your kitchen or hallway and write your reminders there.
Mark your measuring tape
You can also use dry erase markers on most metal tape measures. You may wonder why this is useful since the tape measures are already marked with the relevant information, but this can be very convenient for several reasons:
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It allows you to mark different lengths on the tape so you can measure once and then make multiple cuts.
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This allows you to record measurements directly onto tape, making it easier for you to reapply the same measurement in different locations.
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You can make notes about each measurement to remind yourself what each mark means (such as “length of shelf” or “post from corner”) to add context to your measurements.
You can buy tape measures with a built-in note-taking feature , but they are a little less useful since your notes won’t be directly visible when you measure.
Label your food
When you store food in freezer bags, plastic or glass containers, a dry erase marker is the perfect way to record all the relevant information about what you put in it and when. A permanent marker means you won’t be able to change the contents of a container or bag as easily, while a dry erase marker allows you to use them over and over again without any confusion or messy cross-outs.
Creating labels for glasses
Next time you throw a party, skip the little glass charms that make people remember which avatar represents them and just write their names on the outside of the glass with a dry-erase marker. They can also be used as place cards for your dining table if you have a specific seating arrangement that you want to maintain.
You can buy special “ goblet markers ” for this, but if you have erasable markers lying around the house, those will work too.
Entertain your kids with a neat science experiment.
If you have a crowd of bored kids who need something to do, try a combination of a science experiment and a magic trick you’ve probably seen on Instagram: give everyone a plate and a set of markers and let them decorate the plate the way they want. want. Then cover the surface of the plate with water and wait a few minutes – the ink will come off the plate and float in the water, maintaining its shape. This is a fun activity for children that can be repeated as many times as necessary so you can enjoy the peace and quiet.
Remove permanent marker stains
Of course, one of the infamous uses for dry erase markers is to remove marks made with permanent markers . This will work on almost any surface that a dry erase marker would normally work on, which is smooth, non-porous surfaces. Permanent marker on different surfaces (like walls) will likely require a different solution. But if the dry erase marker rubs off the surface, the permanent marker will probably go with it.