Content
Linoleum is a favorite among budget flooring. This is not surprising, because the material is easy to clean, does not attract dirt, does not fade and serves for a long time. Particularly persistent pollutants such as felt-tip pens, ink, brilliant green can significantly reduce the "life" of the coating. Anyone who once tried to wipe a marker from linoleum knows firsthand - it's difficult to do this.
The fate of modern housewives is greatly facilitated by an impressive list of special tools, among which there is also "chemistry" for removing marker marks from the floor. But there are also more affordable ways - folk remedies - some of them cope even better than special ones.
Methods for removing the marker from linoleum
Not only can small children paint the floors in a room, adults also often leave markers on the beautiful linoleum. For example, you can accidentally "scribble" on the coating with a construction marker during repairs.
No matter how it happens, the first thing to do is take that same felt-tip pen and see what is written on it. The primary task is to find out the composition of the "culprit" of the fresh spot.
Today, there are three types of markers on sale, differing in the base substance:
- water-based markers;
- alcohol markers;
- felt-tip pens that contain oil.
The choice of means for wiping off the marker should be based on the principle of "like to like". If a mark is left on the linoleum with a water-based felt-tip pen, it can be easily removed with warm water and the addition of powder or soap. Alcohol markers are wiped off the surface using solvents: white spirit, gasoline, acetone, alcohol or ether. Oil markers should be easily cleaned of linoleum with ordinary sunflower oil.
The most formidable of all markers are permanent. This is a category of especially durable markers used for cutting building materials, applying indelible inscriptions on fabrics, leather, concrete. The coloring particles of the permanent marker are especially aggressive; they are quickly absorbed into the top layer of any material and are very difficult to remove from it. Dealing with pollution will be very difficult. But, if you act quickly, you can wipe off the coating from such a complex stain.
Oddly enough, the color of the pollution also plays an important role. The shade of the marker depends on the type and amount of coloring pigments in its composition. So, the most difficult thing is to wipe off red, brown and blue "patterns" - markers of these colors are removed from the surface of linoleum much more difficult than others.
Procedure
Rarely, the composition is written on inexpensive felt-tip pens, and there is too little time to deal with this issue. In this case, you need to do the following:
- Immediately, as soon as the coating is dirty, thoroughly moisten a rag with warm water and rub the stain with effort. If the stain “lends itself”, is gradually wiped off the floor, and the rag becomes stained, we can consider it luck - the basis of the felt-tip pen is water. You can continue cleaning with the addition of washing powder or laundry soap.
- If the water has no effect on the marker stain, you need to quickly change tactics. Now a cotton swab or a cosmetic disc should be moistened in any solvent: refined gasoline, acetone.First, the stain does not need to be rubbed, it is better, as it were, to "blot" the mark from the marker. By the color of the cotton wool or napkin, it will become clear whether the substance dissolves the pigment or not.
- Last but not least, you should try to wipe the felt-tip pen with oil (there are very few oil markers, but they are still found). A few drops of oil on a clean paper towel should be enough.
Markers and felt-tip pens can rub off the linoleum very slowly, so it's easy to overlook that the stain gets dimmer. To choose the right tactics, it is better to take a white napkin, rag or cotton wool for cleaning. On a light material, pigment particles will immediately become noticeable - then continue to rub off the marker in the chosen way.
Do not soak stains on the flooring as you do on fabrics. Regardless of the type of detergent you choose to wipe off the felt-tip pen, it should be removed from the floor as soon as possible. Otherwise, there is a risk of increasing the area of the spot on the linoleum.
How to wipe a marker from linoleum using folk methods
Immediately after purchasing a floor covering, you need to take care of its durability. Linoleum is rubbed with special mastics, drying oil or linseed oil. These products will create an invisible film and serve as a barrier to various contaminants.
When the linoleum is already stained with a marker, and there are no special means for scrubbing at home, people's councils will come to the rescue. Not all available tools can cope with modern durable markers. Among the popular methods, the most effective can be distinguished, they are used when "first aid" (in the form of water, alcohol and oil) does not give results:
- Hair spray. This seemingly funny way really helps to wipe off even the most persistent markers from linoleum. Regular varnish, the composition and price of which does not matter, is sprayed thickly onto the painted coating. If the stain is fresh, the felt-tip pigments will begin to evaporate immediately. If the marker has long been "decorating" the floor, a puddle of varnish is left on the linoleum all night.
- Chlorine. Chlorine solution should be used with great care and is very corrosive. Working in rubber gloves, a cotton swab is moistened in chlorine and the composition is rubbed along the trail of the felt-tip pen. After a couple of minutes, the chlorine must be washed off, otherwise, along with the marker pigments, it will take the paint of the linoleum itself.
- Nail polish remover. Household acetone is also good at rubbing off stains left by a felt-tip pen. It is better to use the solvent on light coatings; for dark linoleum, it is advisable to find another option. Acetone is used in the same way as chlorine.
- Among cosmetics, you can also find a stronger stain remover than hairspray or acetone. It is a gel polish remover that wipes off even permanent markers with ease.
- Carbonated drink. "Sprite" very well removes a variety of stains, not only from the marker and not only from linoleum. Pour a small amount of drink on the trail from the felt-tip pen and leave for several hours. Then take a sponge and gradually rub the stain with pressure.
- The toothpaste also sometimes helps wipe off the marker. You can apply it to the linoleum surface with an unnecessary toothbrush.
How to wipe a felt-tip pen from linoleum using household chemicals
Typically, household chemicals are used to remove old or large felt-tip stains. Or in cases where folk methods and improvised means were ineffective.
Before using an aggressive chemical, it must be tested on an inconspicuous piece of the same linoleum (under a sofa, for example). Along with special products for stubborn stains, the use of common household chemicals is allowed. The linoleum marker can be wiped off with substances such as:
- cream "Sif", which contains very small abrasive particles and, indeed, well wipes off marks from the marker;
- sanitary gel "Domestos" is useful if there is no pure chlorine in the house;
- "Moment-Antikley" is a special tool invented to remove the most difficult and stubborn stains (from glue, felt-tip pens, various dyes).
Conclusion
The statement that it is impossible to wipe the marker off linoleum is incorrect - it is real. It is enough to be patient and follow all the recommendations. Here it is important not to overdo it and go from simple to complex: first try the most gentle means and only then scrub the floors with aggressive "chemistry".
