Dried out dry erase markers? Your whiteboard markers may have more life in them. Dip the tip in a little ordinary rubbing alcohol. If color is drawn down into the alcohol, there's life in your marker, and you can write with it some more now that you have treated it. If this does not work, then the marker is probably out of lasting power.
By Kirsten from Logan, UT
This page contains the following solutions.
I simply snip the tip of the marker with scissors. Sometimes removing a bit off the dried tip will expose fresh ink. It works just about every time for me.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Is there any way to recondition a dry eraser marker? I know it still has plenty of ink, but the cap didn't click well enough.
Thank you!
Maria from Derwood, MD
Pry off the bottom (it helps to put on rubber gloves- you can grip it better) and put 4-5 drops of water on the end of the fat ink-supply thing and store it upside down for a couple of days. I've never done it on dry-erase markers, but it works great on regular or permanent ones. (Ultra-fine to fat-tipped.)
Perhaps (NOT SURE), allowing the tip to sit a few hours in a small amount of rubbing alcohol? It should wick up into the marker barrel, reconstituting the dried ink. Gently turn in upside down & back a few times during the soaking.
This is NUTS... works for just about anything else... how about soaking the tip in a shallow amount of plain white vinegar? anyone?
I use rubbing alcohol to remove the lettering from my dry erase board so I'm questioning using it to reconstitute the markers themselves. I could be wrong though, only questioning.
Guess I'll have to give up. I have tried: alcohol, water & nail polish remover w/o success. Only thing I haven't tried is vinegar. Maybe I should just buy new ones...:(
Easiest, fastest, cheapest method!!: attach a string to the end of the marker (taping a knotted string works pretty well), spin the marker over your head several times. Centrifugal force will move any remaining ink to the marker tip. Make sure the cap is on though!! And be careful removing the cap, do it over a sink or wad of paper towels because sometimes a lot of ink can pool up in the cap. I'm a math teacher at a low income high school and we are always looking to save money in our department!
Wow - I just tried it and swinging the marker around on a string really does work brilliantly! and instantly!
Thank you for the idea!
Wow, the spinning thing works well. I got a little too over zealous on the spinning and was winging it around like a helicopter, I think 3-5 good spins is enough. If not -do more. The ink does pool in the cap and I think i wasted a lot.
Thanks for the spinning idea. Worked like a charm for a homeschool mom on a budget:)
Spinning with a string works like magic! I had a set of 4 dry erase markers that had stayed for 3 years in their packaging, still unused. When I tried them, 3 seemed dried out. I still wonder how it is possible, with the cap sealing well and all. Anyway, I was pissed. I had the idea to put them tip down in alcohol.
Tried spinning around on a string, worked great, for about 3 minutes and then dried up again :(
Holy Guacamole! I have an old pre-1980's test tube centrifuge. A few seconds in that baby and voila. Just like new. Make sure to wear goggles.
You can possibly take the end off of the dry erase marker with a pair of pliers and fill it with rubbing alcohol or water and put the end back on and wait over night.
Yeah, do the same process with alcohol.
Do NOT use water to revive dry erase markers!!! It doesn't work and makes the problem even worse by washing out any remaining color left in the marker.
Did not work don't try
I used manual centrifuge and got back a surprising amount of ink back to the tip. Anybody tried the electrically powered centrifuge may have better results, please share.
Rubbing alcohol NOT water (which will kill it).
Doesn't work if the marker doesn't write at all, but works if the ink is getting light.
I usually just give them a few good shakes, a lot of ink does pool in the cap but the result is either that it works or that the marker just paints the ink on the board for a couple seconds before drying out again. I had a brand new marker that worked great the first time I used it, laid it down for a few weeks and now even shaking ink out won't work.
Worked too well!!!!! I skipped string and shook it real hard ink flew everywhere. Expo dry erase markers apparently do not have tight lid.
My Expo Dry Erase markers are not old, but one just dried up and the lid was on it. Is there anything you can do to "rewet" them?
By Melinda M.
Put them in rubbing alcohol!
It worked for me!
Put them in rubbing alcohol
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