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How to Get Sharpie off Shoes: Step-By-Step Guide

Have you ever caught yourself panicking and desperately looking for ways on how to eradicate Sharpie stains on the most favored shoes? Do not worry because this article brings the best guide to make that happen! Besides the older ways of using rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, and hair spray to remove Sharpie from shoes, there’s a new and better way: Vessi shoes.

Yes we have the most fashionable and comfortable shoes called the Vessi shoes which we also make from a remarkably easy to clean material and our shoes are also completely waterproof. End the frustration of rubbing off Sharpie marks and embrace the future of better shoe wear with a new pair of Vessi shoes.

But if you do not own a pair of Vessi shoes and your shoes are the ones with Sharpie stains, we’ve got good news for you so you can stop stressing about those Sharpie marks. Dive in!

How to Remove Sharpie Stains off Shoes

Sharpies are among the global bestselling and widely used permanent markers. It is also its main attribute as a permanent marker – Sharpies write on and do not fade away from almost all types of surfaces.

It is very hard to remove Sharpie ink from any type of shoes and though it can be done, it takes a while. But it is not a tough task to erase the stains if you want to clean your favorite pair. Well, how do you eliminate dried Sharpie marks on various kinds of shoes?

1. Rubber shoes

Remove Permanent Marker from rubber Shoes

Image Credit: thespruce.com

Erasing sharpie stains from rubber shoes might be quite challenging, however, doing that successfully is not impossible by use of adequate tools and procedures. Now I will show you how it is possible to remove those Sharpie stains off your rubber shoes.

Materials needed

To remove Sharpie stains off rubber shoes, you will need the following materials:

  • Rubbing alcohol

  • Cotton balls or swabs

  • Baking soda

  • Water

  • A clean, dry cloth

Methods for removing Sharpie stains off rubber shoes

a) Using rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol works well for removing Sharpie stains from rubber shoes. Here's how to use it:

  1. Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball or swab.

  2. Rub the cotton ball or swab onto the Sharpie stain. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you cover the entire stain, use a clean, dry cloth to remove excess rubbing alcohol.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you completely remove the Sharpie stain.

b) Use baking soda

Baking soda is another useful way to remove Sharpie stains from rubber shoes. Here's how to use it:

  1. Mix equal parts of water and baking soda to form a paste.

  2. Apply the paste to the Sharpie stain on your rubber shoes.

  3. Rub the paste onto the stain using a clean cloth or toothbrush. Be gentle but firm, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  4. Rinse the shoe with water and dry it with a clean cloth.

  5. Repeat steps 2-4 until the Sharpie stain is gone completely.

2. Leather shoes

Here's how to remove sharpie stains off leather shoes:

Materials needed

To remove Sharpie stains off leather shoes, you will need the following materials:

  • Rubbing alcohol

  • Cotton balls or swabs

  • Leather cleaner

  • Leather conditioner

  • Sunscreen (preferably with a high SPF rating)

  • Magic eraser

  • Dishwasher soap

  • Water

  • A clean, dry cloth

Methods for removing Sharpie stains off leather shoes

a) Using rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is another efficacious way to remove Sharpie stains from leather shoes. Here's how to use it:

  1. Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball or swab.

  2. Rub the cotton ball or swab onto the Sharpie stain. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you've covered the entire stain, use a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess rubbing alcohol.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you remove the Sharpie stain completely.

b) Using leather cleaner

Leather cleaner is another method to remove Sharpie stains from leather shoes. Here's how to use it:

  1. Apply a small amount of leather cleaner to a clean, dry cloth.

  2. Rub the cloth onto the Sharpie stain. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you've covered the entire stain, use a dry cloth to remove the excess leather cleaner.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 until the Sharpie stain is gone completely.

c) Using leather conditioner

Leather conditioner is a great option for removing Sharpie stains off leather shoes while conditioning the leather. Here's how to use it:

  1. Apply a small amount of leather conditioner to a clean, dry cloth.

  2. Rub the cloth onto the Sharpie stain. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you cover the entire stain, use a clean, dry cloth to remove the excess leather conditioner.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you fully remove the Sharpie stain.

d) Sunscreen

Sometimes sunscreen serves as a shield that safeguards our skin against the scorching sun, the same product can be used to get rid of Sharpie stains on our leather shoes. This method is most suitable in repairing lighter shades of leather.

Here's how to use sunscreen to remove Sharpie stains from leather shoes:

  1. Apply a pea-sized amount of sunscreen onto the Sharpie stain.

  2. Rub the sunscreen directly onto the Sharpie stain with a cotton ball or swab. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you cover the entire stain, let the sunscreen sit on the stained area for a few minutes.

  4. Rinse the stained area with warm water and dishwasher soap.

  5. Use a clean, dry cloth to remove the sunscreen.

  6. Repeat steps 1-4 until you completely remove the Sharpie stain.

e) Using a magic eraser
Magic eraser

Image Credit: hunker.com

One of the most effective means for eliminating a permanent marker stain on genuine leather or fabric shoes is a magic eraser. You should consider using a magic eraser if you get permanent marker ink mark on areas that include leather and fabric sections.

  1. Wet the magic eraser by running a clean sponge under cool water and then squeeze any excess water.

  2. Use circular motions to gently rub the Sharpie ink marker stain using gentle but firm pressure. Do not rub too hard to avoid lifting the colouring of the leather.

  3. Rinse the stained area with water and mild soap using a clean cloth.

3. Plastic shoes

remove stains

Image Credit: bhg.com

Non-slip shoes are made of ordinary plastics which are cheap, water-resistant, and easy to clean but are not good with Sharpie marks. Using Sharpie on plastic shoes is a crazy idea but removing it can be a difficult task, however, you know what to do. The following guide explains how to get Sharpie stains out of plastic shoes.

Materials needed

To remove Sharpie stains off plastic shoes, you will need the following materials:

  • Rubbing alcohol

  • Cotton balls or swabs

  • Nail polish remover

  • A clean, dry cloth

Methods for removing Sharpie stains off plastic shoes

Clean with White vinegar

Image Credit: realsimple.com

Of the aforementioned methods of eradicating permanent marker stains from plastic shoes, one of the taken is writing over the permanent markings using a non-permanent dry-erase marker. The solvent in the permanent marker removes the permanent ink labels and by using the clean cloth or a tissue, youcan wash away the stains from the marker.

If the mentioned method involving the use of dry-erase marker doesn’t prove effective, then there are many other ways of trying to eliminate the marker stain. They include:

a) Using rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is another proper method for removing Sharpie stains off plastic shoes. Here's how to use it:

  1. Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball or swab.

  2. Rub the cotton ball or swab onto the Sharpie stain. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you cover the entire stain, use a clean, dry cloth to remove excess rubbing alcohol.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you completely remove the Sharpie stain.

B) Using nail polish remover

Nail polish remover is another reliable way to remove Sharpie stains from plastic shoes. Here's how to use it:

  1. Pour a small amount of nail polish remover onto a cotton ball or swab.

  2. Rub the cotton ball or swab onto the Sharpie stain. Rub gently but firmly, making sure to cover the entire stain.

  3. Once you cover the entire stain, use a clean cloth to remove excess nail polish remover.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you can no longer see the Sharpie stain.

Tips and Tricks for Removing Sharpie Marks

Remove Permanent ink

Image Credit: realsimple.com

When it comes to erasing sharpie mark off shoes, there are tips which you could maybe try. Learning the right techniques to apply and mistakes to avoid will let you be confident that you can erase any permanent marker stain off any shoe material without causing any more harm.

  • Do not let the sharpie marks to stay for a long time before erasing instead try to erase them when they are still wet. In the case where you are unable to treat your material right away the recommended course of action is to wash it with cold water so that the Sharpie ink does not seep deeper into your shoe.

  • Like with any cosmetic fix, you should test on a small area of your shoe before trying any removal method.

  • Also, do not scrub the affected area with a sharpie because it only transfers the sharper ink into the fabric of shoes. However, place the stained part facing down in clean cloths or paper and attempt to remove the stain starting from the underside.

  • When using removal methods such as an acetone nail polish remover or WD-40, ensure you work in a well-ventilated area.

Conclusion on How to Get Sharpie off Shoes

Remove Marker stains

Image Credit: reddit.com

It is still daunting contemplating how to remove Sharpie stains from shoes though in this article we look at various ways. In any case, as for the methods discussed in this article, you will be able to erase Sharpie marks like a boss.

For rubber shoes you use rubbing alcohol, for plastic shoes you have the nail polish remover and for leather shoes sunscreen is used. However, measures such as not leaving Sharpies around, using different sprays to seal shoes, or wearing shoes that do not absorb, difficult to stain like Vessi can help prevent staining significantly.

Well, next time that you find yourself in front of your shoes with a Sharpie stain don’t freak out just yet. A little bit of work and choosing the proper material and voila – no more marks on your lovely shoes and welcome shiny shoes. If you are going to work, school, or club bopping, you can dress the part—you now know how to remove Sharpie marks as well.

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