Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Topic: Cleansers For Kids' Grafitti

Every mom seems to have a marker catastrophe at some point in her mothering career. It's natural that childhood curiosity should seek to explore different mediums and uses for the coloring utensil. "Why draw on an 8- by 11-inch piece of paper when you could draw on a 8- by 11-foot wall?" thinks the curious child. "And why not use my body as a canvas?" Then there's the 12-month-old who sees the marker more as a snack than a writing instrument, and he eats the tips off of a whole box of markers only to poop in Technicolor the next day. And don't forget the traditional markerization of the brand-new birthday outfit. But it's markers on wall that turns Eve loco. And just last week, my two-year-old left another Sharpie fresco on the entry hall wall. I called my sister Meg for suggestions on how to get the permanent marker off. Turns out she was wondering the same thing. "My daughter has an alter ago," she explained, "a superhero name for herself -- Chauncey Yellowstone. She wrote her emblem -- a capital C with a Y inside of it -- all over my newly painted hallway walls and curtains. Sort of like the mark of Zorro, except it was the mark of Yellowstone. She used indelible markers."

My sis was exasperated, and not ready to take up the paintbrush again. I thought I would try to save her -- and me -- a few gray hairs and research cleaning ideas.

"The two times my kids wrote on walls," replied my other sister Cathy, "happened when we were guests in someone else's home. The first time was when my three-year-old scribbled all over Mom's new wallpaper. The following year, during a visit to my mother-in-law's home, my two-year-old marked up her wallpaper. I am not sure why both times were on wallpaper. I figure it was because we had no wallpaper at our home, so the kids thought they were adding to the drawing already on the wall. I can't remember what I used to clean it off, but I did manage to get it off. The fact that I washed it immediately after it happened must have helped."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Friend Margaret, always the superb tipster, had a winner. "My two-year-old Grace has been on a marker kick," she explained. "She finds David's indelible markers he uses for school, and she draws everywhere. She has marked up so many of our walls. I use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers [ $1.88 for a two-pack at Wal-Mart]. I give them five stars," she touted. "Or perhaps I should say, 'five rubber gloves.' They feel like memory foam, and you scrub them on the wall and the sponge wears away until it's gone, just like an eraser. It's trippy. It has worked on enamel and flat paint in our house. Every mom with would-be artists should have this product." Wal-Mart also sold Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 2-in-1 with absorbent wiping layer ( $2.42 for a two-pack).

I added her advice to my notes and called several stores to get more product suggestions for Meg.

The Ace Hardware salesman warned me about different paints. "You should realize that if the marker is on flat paint, since flat paint is porous, the marker goes right through it, so it won't come off. Also keep in mind that some cleaners might take the shine off of some paint surfaces."

The Dunn-Edwards salesman offered more advice. "You don't want to use too much of the cleaner, because then it could take off your wall paint," he said. "Put a little of it on a cloth, and just dab it on the mark. I have a cleaner called Krud Kutter [ $5.92 for 40 ounces at Dunn-Edwards]. I use it at home and it does work. Or you could try Goof Off [ $3.11 for 4.5 ounces], but that is harsher. I'd try the Krud Kutter first. If the marker does not come off the wall," he added, "repaint. Spot primer the area first, because if you just repaint without priming, the marker color will bleed through."

CM Supply pointed me in the direction of Cleanup Solvent 22 by Titan Laboratories ( $4.74 for a 16-ounce bottle). "This has less chemicals than our other cleaners," she offered. "I would try this."

If the marker paintings still don't come off, I guess I will drag out the old paint can and roller.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Domestic disturbance at the home of Mayor Gloria and partner

Home Sweet Homeless?
Next Article

The Fellini of Clairemont High

When gang showers were standard for gym class

Every mom seems to have a marker catastrophe at some point in her mothering career. It's natural that childhood curiosity should seek to explore different mediums and uses for the coloring utensil. "Why draw on an 8- by 11-inch piece of paper when you could draw on a 8- by 11-foot wall?" thinks the curious child. "And why not use my body as a canvas?" Then there's the 12-month-old who sees the marker more as a snack than a writing instrument, and he eats the tips off of a whole box of markers only to poop in Technicolor the next day. And don't forget the traditional markerization of the brand-new birthday outfit. But it's markers on wall that turns Eve loco. And just last week, my two-year-old left another Sharpie fresco on the entry hall wall. I called my sister Meg for suggestions on how to get the permanent marker off. Turns out she was wondering the same thing. "My daughter has an alter ago," she explained, "a superhero name for herself -- Chauncey Yellowstone. She wrote her emblem -- a capital C with a Y inside of it -- all over my newly painted hallway walls and curtains. Sort of like the mark of Zorro, except it was the mark of Yellowstone. She used indelible markers."

My sis was exasperated, and not ready to take up the paintbrush again. I thought I would try to save her -- and me -- a few gray hairs and research cleaning ideas.

"The two times my kids wrote on walls," replied my other sister Cathy, "happened when we were guests in someone else's home. The first time was when my three-year-old scribbled all over Mom's new wallpaper. The following year, during a visit to my mother-in-law's home, my two-year-old marked up her wallpaper. I am not sure why both times were on wallpaper. I figure it was because we had no wallpaper at our home, so the kids thought they were adding to the drawing already on the wall. I can't remember what I used to clean it off, but I did manage to get it off. The fact that I washed it immediately after it happened must have helped."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Friend Margaret, always the superb tipster, had a winner. "My two-year-old Grace has been on a marker kick," she explained. "She finds David's indelible markers he uses for school, and she draws everywhere. She has marked up so many of our walls. I use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers [ $1.88 for a two-pack at Wal-Mart]. I give them five stars," she touted. "Or perhaps I should say, 'five rubber gloves.' They feel like memory foam, and you scrub them on the wall and the sponge wears away until it's gone, just like an eraser. It's trippy. It has worked on enamel and flat paint in our house. Every mom with would-be artists should have this product." Wal-Mart also sold Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 2-in-1 with absorbent wiping layer ( $2.42 for a two-pack).

I added her advice to my notes and called several stores to get more product suggestions for Meg.

The Ace Hardware salesman warned me about different paints. "You should realize that if the marker is on flat paint, since flat paint is porous, the marker goes right through it, so it won't come off. Also keep in mind that some cleaners might take the shine off of some paint surfaces."

The Dunn-Edwards salesman offered more advice. "You don't want to use too much of the cleaner, because then it could take off your wall paint," he said. "Put a little of it on a cloth, and just dab it on the mark. I have a cleaner called Krud Kutter [ $5.92 for 40 ounces at Dunn-Edwards]. I use it at home and it does work. Or you could try Goof Off [ $3.11 for 4.5 ounces], but that is harsher. I'd try the Krud Kutter first. If the marker does not come off the wall," he added, "repaint. Spot primer the area first, because if you just repaint without priming, the marker color will bleed through."

CM Supply pointed me in the direction of Cleanup Solvent 22 by Titan Laboratories ( $4.74 for a 16-ounce bottle). "This has less chemicals than our other cleaners," she offered. "I would try this."

If the marker paintings still don't come off, I guess I will drag out the old paint can and roller.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Two poems by Marvin Bell

“To Dorothy” and “The Self and the Mulberry”
Next Article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader