Said It Here

How to get dry erase marker off lamination

Dry erase markers leave stubborn stains and smear badly on laminated surfaces when wiped with standard erasers or whiteboard cleaner. This makes laminated templates extremely difficult to clean, ruining materials and wasting valuable learning time.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Spraying white board cleaner on the eraser before use
  2. 2
    Trying different brands of markers and erasers like Target and Expo
  3. 3
    Using microfiber cloths instead of traditional whiteboard erasers
  4. 4
    Putting the boards in clear page protectors
  5. 5
    Spraying with WD-40 on a Friday and letting them sit flat until Monday
  6. 6
    Using a Magic Eraser
  7. 7
    Rewriting over the markings with dry erase before reattempting to erase
  8. 8
    Using regular coloring markers and a damp sponge or paper towel
  9. 9
    Using 91% isopropyl alcohol
  10. 10
    Using Lysol spray
  11. 11
    Scribbling over the spot with an erasable marker and wiping immediately
  12. 12
    Applying a very light coating of WD-40 on a paper towel
  13. 13
    Using Expo spray

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/CleaningTips3 people · September 2026

“My whiteboard is extremely difficult to clean. I think i ruined it.”source ↗

“when I write with them they are so hard to wipe off... it leaves a huge stain”source ↗

“Whiteboard cleaner did not work as well.”source ↗

Curiouslearner101 · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“The problem: They can’t easily erase. It’s taking away from learning time and causing frustration.”source ↗

“I’ve tried it myself and it is harder than it was last year when I made them.”source ↗

artshiuli · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Expo markers smear every time if I use the eraser or microfiber cloth alone.”source ↗

cecegpg · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised