If you've been doodling since before you could form total sentences, chances are you have a range of markers and felt tips lying around your home. Somehow these drawing companions brood in my studio space, and I seem to have a small army of Copics, Sharpies, and Touch markers constantly within arm's reach. These markers tend to dry out out earlier they fully die out, and information technology tin can be frustrating and expensive to keep replacing struggling tools.

This tutorial covers two dissimilar techniques for reviving water-based markers as well every bit non-water soluble or paint markers. The first method uses submersion in water to endeavor and invigorate stale out ink that is sitting where the marker felt (or fibre) meets the inner tube ink cartridge. The 2d method uses vinegar to try and dab at the markers' ink to break through congenital up and dried out mark debris inside the meridian of the tip.

Yous can usually tell if your marker is water-based by reading the label, otherwise ofttimes not-h2o based markers have an overwhelming precipitous chemical smell that gives them away.

For this tutorial yous volition need:

  • Water-based markers that are drying out
  • One small bowl, glass, or cup
  • I small dish or jar lid
  • A sheet of paper
  • White household vinegar
  • Water simply below boiling point

Start past sorting through your markers and checking their status. If whatever markers are conspicuously across repair and are totally dried out, chuck them in the bin. When the tip of a marker has totally dried out, or feels like it'southward fossilised when touching newspaper, it'south probably beyond the point of repair. This exercise is to save your markers earlier they go to that indicate.

When you lot're done ensure all the caps and lids are fitted snugly back on your markers.

The h2o submersion method:

  1. Heat water to just below boiling and pour it into a small bowl, glass or loving cup. Leave your hot water for almost two minutes to let it cool slightly, to prevent the water being too hot and melting any plastic parts of your markers.
  2. Once yous've got your bowl of hot h2o, submerge the whole tip of your water-based marker for five minutes. Make certain you have submerged the part of your marker where the felt tip meets the casing of the mark.
  3. After near a minute you lot should notice ink from your marker beginning to bleed into your water. This is a good sign, and indicates that the warmth of the water has got your marker running freely again. You lot can see in my photos below the black ink is moving through my drinking glass of water, and information technology looks similar to the style a drop of food dye spreads in h2o.
  4. Shake off any excess water and replace your marker lid. Go out your marking to dry off in a cool dry identify for 24 hours before testing information technology over again.

The vinegar method:

  1. Pour ordinary white household vinegar into a small-scale dish or jar lid .
  2. Very advisedly, dip the tip lightly and chop-chop into the vinegar. Yous don't desire to submerge the tip as it tin can exist too corrosive for some markers and ruin them.
  3. Dab the marker tip swiftly in and out of the vinegar v-10 times, in the hopes that the vinegar will penetrate the pen tip and cutting through whatever granulated chunks of ink. By using this method, you're essentially lightly cleaning the marker felt.
  4. One time you lot've dabbed your marker with vinegar, replace the cap and leave it to dry off in a cool identify for 24 hours before testing it over again.

Yous can meet in the photograph below how piffling of the marker tip needs to be in contact with vinegar to exist effective. Work slowly and gently to brand sure you don't accidentally drown your mark in vinegar.

Some other method I concluded upward using was flicking some drops of vinegar directly onto a chopping board (or whatsoever other work surface) and rolling the tips of my green marker in the vinegar. This eliminated any accidental submersion and gave me more command over how much vinegar I let onto my mark.

Lastly, come back the next mean solar day and come across the results of your work. This is my water-based marker the day after the h2o submersion method and information technology's bought it back to life.

Tips for preserving the life of your markers:

  • Always store your markers in a cool, dry place, like you would tubes of acrylic paint.
  • If you tin, shop your markers upside down with the hat downward, and then the ink runs towards the tip.
  • If you live in an extremely hot climate, consider refrigerating your markers.
  • Ensure you ever replace the lid of your markers and double cheque they are on securely. This is the single most important tip for improving the lifespan of markers.

Allow us know your own tips and tricks for bringing back markers to life in the comments.