Pencils are one of the most used tools in everyone’s life. The convenience of writing and making changes in what you have written has made them an important part of an artist’s life.
However, the deep pencil marks on wood or plastic surface are not appreciated. A pencil can leave darker marks as pencil lead stains or graphite stains, and these dry stains can convert into deep-set marks and make your job difficult for you.
Moreover, if you are a kindergarten teacher, then it is expected that your students use colored pencils. However, what is even normal is having strange doodly black marks on the working tables.
Now let me tell you that these graphite or crayon marks look as bad as cigarette burn marks do. So, in this article, we will be looking at ways to remove them from plastic surfaces.
Will Pencil Marks Washout?
Yes, it is possible to wash out pencil marks from various surfaces completely. In the case of delicate fabric, a common eraser can be used in a smooth circular motion on top of excess marks.
After that, remove the eraser remnants with a dry cloth or clean paper towels. On the other hand, if it is a durable fabric, you can use warm water and laundry detergent to remove stubborn stains. In the case of a plastic surface, some of the graphite marks can be removed with a clean cloth or a soft eraser.
However, due to the presence of strong color additives, some pencil stains become stubborn marks. In such situations, you may need hot water or dish soap to completely remove the excess stain. This article can serve as your cleaning guide.
Ways of Removing Pencil Marks from Plastic
With some cleaning materials, you can easily remove the pencil marks from plastic.
Method 1: Use Pencil Eraser
Surprisingly, a soft eraser is among the most effective and easiest methods for removing graphite marks from any surface. Or any kind of soft eraser can be used to do the job. Gently rub the eraser over the stained substance, taking care not to distort the surface with excessive force.
Then wipe away the excess eraser dust with a dry cloth. In case if you do not have an eraser nearby, you can use a rubber band as well.
Method 2: Soap and Water will Work
If a soft eraser does not successfully remove the stain, add a little bit of liquid detergent or soap water to the damaged area and gently massage with a damp cloth.
Moreover, if you do not want to use any abrasive eraser on your surface, try using soap and water as an alternative. This method can be a perfect eraser for graphite stains from your table.
Method 3: Try Glass Cleaner
A glass cleaner or all-purpose cleaner also works wonders. It is called an all-purpose cleaner for a reason, and in this case, this purpose is cleaning pencil marks off of your table. Pour some of the glass cleaners on top of the affected area and wait for a few seconds.
Let the cleaner do its job, and then wipe it off with a paper towel. If you feel that some of the cleaners are still there, use cold water to clean the eraser residue off of the table.
Did you know that using baby wipes also helps remove the graphite marks from tables?
Method 4: Take Help of Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can come in handy in case other cleaning methods are not working or are available. The applying method is the same as others. You will need a help of a dry piece of cloth, and damp it with some of the rubbing alcohol and directly apply it over the infected area.
Let it rest for a while, and then wipe the surface with a soft cloth. In some cases, you may need to repeat this process for the best results.
When you see that all of the pencil stains have been removed, clean the surface with cold water and use a dry cloth to absorb the moisture.
Method 5: Spray WD-40 Cleaner
WD-40 cleaner has also been used to clean the graphite marks off of the tables and walls. Spray the WD-40 cleaner on lead marks and let it rest for some time. This time break is necessary so the cleaner can absorb color additives off of the surface.
Then use a paper towel to wipe the WD-40 residues off the table. When you see that the darker marks are gone, use a damp cloth to clean the oily residue of the cleaner. Other cleaning methods include the usage of baby wipes, vegetable oil, or clean magic erasers.
FAQs
Following are some of the common questions related to removing pencil or graphite stains from plastic surfaces.
Q: Does toothpaste remove pencil marks?
Yes, you can remove charcoal marks off of a porous surface with the help of toothpaste. Not many are aware of this creative hack, but it is quite handy and useful for removing pencil marks from the surface of a plastic table.
You can either take a worn-out or baby toothbrush for this purpose. Place just a bit of toothpaste on top and rub it on the infected block of plastic. After that, you can clean the area with cool water or a paper towel.
If you are using this method, then make sure to only use regular white toothpaste and avoid mixing any other cleaning product in it.
Q: How do you remove a pencil stain from a table?
To remove the pencil stains from a table, have a closer look at the material it is made up of. If you have pencil marks on a wood surface, you can remove them by rubbing acetone on them.
Use a soft cloth and pour some of the acetone on it. You can easily get this from any hardware store around. Using acetone will not cause any damage to the wood surface, and you will get a clean surface in no time.
However, if you have a plastic table, try using WD-40 spray on it. After spraying on pencil lead stains, wait for a few seconds and then wipe off the WD-40 residue with a damp sponge. You can also use a wet cloth if you don’t have a sponge. In the end, dry it off with a clean cloth.
Moreover, a liquid detergent and hot water can also be used to remove pencil marks from the table. Use a soft cloth to wipe out the excess detergent at the end.
Q: Will rubbing alcohol remove pencil marks?
Yes, rubbing alcohol to remove the pencil marks does the job. For this method, I will suggest you pour some alcohol on a dry cloth and then rub this damp cloth on top of the infected area.
If you see the marks getting lighter as you rub in a circular motion, keep doing this until the graphite marks totally fade away.
Q: Can melamine remove pencil marks from tables?
Instead of using other types of erasers, using a melamine foam sponge to wipe off the marks can do wonders. Chalkboard erasers can leave white marks behind. To avoid this type of eraser residue, using a melamine foam sponge as your eraser method will be preferred.
At first, you will need to wet the sponge, then squeeze out the extra water and use the damp sponge direct on the wall. The pencil marks will be removed in no time, and you can dry the wall with the help of a soft cloth.
Conclusion
Protecting tables from pencils marks seems impossible when you have toddlers in the house, and your little pink eraser does not do the job. That is why we have gathered all the information about removing those stubborn marks with methods ranging from using warm water to sponge with soap.
Just be careful about the surface’s material, and you can not use cleaning products made for wood on plastic and vice versa. The best advice I can give you right now is to begin slowly and carefully and use just a minimum amount of force. And to save your table from future stains, use a polish or wax protector. Let me know if you found this article useful.
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