How To Get Pen Off Walls

If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of walking into a freshly painted room only to find smudges of ink on the walls, you know how frustrating it can be to try to remove them. Keep reading to learn how to get pen off walls with our tips!

How To Get Pen Ink Stains Off Walls

Here is our collection of cleaning hacks to remove ballpoint pen ink, permanent marker ink stain, and other pen marks in your home.

Magic Eraser

Magic erasers dampened with water work great for many types of stains. Some types of paint may react negatively to gentle abrasives like these. It would help if you observed the paint carefully while scrubbing. It’s best to test a small, inconspicuous area of the wall paint first.

Just make sure your magic eraser is damp with clean water before using it. To remove pen marks from the wall, gently rub a magic eraser over the stain in a circular motion until the stain disappears.

Depending on how old and dried the pen ink is, you may need to repeat this several times.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol) is also effective at removing ballpoint pen ink from walls. This method is one of the best ways of removing pen ink on walls. You can break down ink when you apply rubbing alcohol, which lifts ink stains off surfaces easily.

As well as cleaning up any residue left by the ink, rubbing alcohol removes any moisture. A clean cloth, some rubbing alcohol, and patience are all you need for this do-it-yourself project.

The ink can be removed by dampening a white cloth with rubbing alcohol and rubbing hard on the stain itself.

Using a damp cloth, dab the ink stain out until it disappears. Use circular motions to rub the stained area, and check the wall paint often to avoid damaging it. Don’t use a paper towel, as these can shred.

Baby Wipes

Did you know you can get rid of ink stains using a baby wipe? Alcohol and detergent are both found in baby wipes. Ink stains can be removed with the help of these ingredients in the wipe.

Using a baby wipe, rub the ink stain off the wall. Several more repetitions will be necessary to remove pen marks and clean the wall completely.

Other unsightly stains can also be removed using this process. Apply damp wipes consistently to the wall until the stain is gone.

Baking Soda

Mix baking soda with water and apply to the stain. There can be a slight color fade when using baking soda.

Therefore, rubbing gently with the mixture on the wall is recommended. The color of the area can be removed by rubbing hard with the paste.

It is recommended that the ingredients be weighed in a ratio of 1:2. In other words, one portion of soda will be diluted by two portions of water.

The following five steps will guide you through the process of cleaning your walls with baking soda (also called sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda). You may want rubber gloves for your hands.

Step 1: The first thing you should do is wet a warm cloth or sponge and wipe the surface clean. Dry it off afterward.
Step 2: Combine baking soda with water to make a paste-like consistency. Baking soda and water are the only ingredients. Sodium bicarbonate should be diluted in 2 parts of water with 1 part of soda, so their ratio should be 1:2.
Step 3: Apply baking soda to the ink mark. Apply the paste with a clean cloth. A damp sponge is another option.
After mixing the two ingredients together, let them sit for 10 minutes. To dissolve the ink mark, it needs to soak in and soak for a while.
To avoid damaging the paint, rub gently against the wall afterwards. Make circular motions. The color of your wall can be removed if you do it hard, so gently rub.

Steps 1-5 can be repeated if necessary. If the ink marks persist, repeat the process several times until they are gone for good.

Whitening Toothpaste

You can also remove stains from walls with white toothpaste. It’s just a matter of rubbing white toothpaste on the ink stain for a couple of minutes.

Essentially, the stains can be removed by rubbing non-gel toothpaste on them until they disappear. To get started, follow these steps:

Step 1: Place a small amount of white toothpaste on the stained area and cover it completely with it.
After applying the paste to the wall, let it sit for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. By doing this, the whitening toothpaste will clean the wall of ink. After toothpaste is applied, it takes some time for it to begin working.
Then, rub the mark with a clean white cloth or cotton wool towel in a circular motion to wipe it away.
Next, you should wipe the wall to remove the toothpaste. You should use a warm soft cloth to remove the filmy residue from the surface.

Nail Polish Remover

Nail polish remover works to remove ink, but be wary. Even though removing ink will be accomplished, everything else will be removed as well. Scrubbing harder will result in more paint being removed.

To remove the pen from the wall, pick up a small bottle of nail polish remover.

To remove pen marks, use a hand towel or cloth dampened with fingernail polish remover. I strongly advise that you do not apply the remover directly to the wall. The paint may run if you do this, which will require you to do additional work to restore the wall to its original appearance.
The ink should be rubbed away by gently rubbing the wall with the cloth. Remove the ink stain with as little pressure as possible. Paint will come off the wall more if you apply more pressure. Scrub gently!

Lemon Juice, Ammonia, and Detergent Mixture

Ink can also be removed from walls using a mixture of ammonia, lemon juice, and detergent. Combine all three components in a spray bottle and shake well.

There should be a 1:1:2 ratio between the ingredients. You should use one portion of ammonia and one portion of lemon juice with two portions of detergent.

The mixture can be sprayed on the wall where there is a stain. You can then gently pat dry the wall and dab to get rid of the ink.

Foam Wall Cleaner

You will be relieved to know that this method can handle large ink splotches easily. No elbow grease or time will be wasted scrubbing.

The first step to cleaning any area is to spray it. A clean cloth can be used to remove it immediately after that.

In spite of the fact that there are household cleaners that can remove pen marks, you should be cautious when using them. Before you start using the cleaner, test it on an inconspicuous area.

Use Alcohol Hair Spray

Permanent marker on the walls can be removed with hairspray that contains alcohol. Not all hairsprays contain alcohol, so make sure yours does if you want the desired effect.

Simply spray alcohol-based hairspray over the inked area and use a white cloth to wipe away the stain. To remove the stain, lightly rub the area.
Using a clean cloth, cotton ball, or towel, dab the inked area after it has been sprayed.
To remove the stain, gently scrub it with a white cloth. Pen marks on the wall should be removed with this.
This may need to be done in several cycles to remove the ink stains. In this case, repeat the treatment several times if necessary.

Can You Paint Over Ink Marks?

It is possible, but make sure you use a primer before painting. You need to treat ink like other stains since it can bleed through the paint over time.

To prevent it from appearing after a while, use a blocking primer, or latex based primer.

The Proper Process For Painting Over Ink

It is the best method for people who have too much pen on the wall, have tried the above methods (and other methods) and are unsatisfied with the results.

The area that has been stained needs to be painted in a color that matches the rest of the wall.

Sometimes you might have to paint the whole wall during this process, which can be a little expensive. As long as you do it right, the wall will be perfect.

Start by cleaning the wall itself, making sure it’s free of all dust, dirt, and debris. It’s best to clean the entire area of the wall, including nearby ceiling fans.

When applying primer, be sure to use a high-quality brush or roller and start in the corners of the room, working your way out. Once the primer is dry, you can then begin painting your chosen color. Let the wall dry before touching or hanging pictures.

With just a little bit of extra effort, you can ensure that your paint job looks great for years to come.