• Question: Why are some pens (whiteboard pens) easy to rub out from whiteboards and others (permanent pens) not?

    Asked by mrsrichards to Andrew, Daniel, Hayley, Natalia, Peta on 16 Nov 2011.
    • Photo: Hayley Smith

      Hayley Smith answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      I think it’s to do with what they’re made of.
      Permanent markers contain some kind of chemical that means they try to stain the material they are placed upon. They can normally be removed, however, using some kind of alcohol-based solvent.
      White board markers are designed not to bond with the surface of the white board and so can just be easily wiped off with a dry cloth, or similar. They don’t contain the same chemicals as the permanent pens.

      Sorry if that’s a bit vague :s I remember being told about it once, but can’t remember the details, if I find anything further out about it I’ll edit my post…

    • Photo: Daniel Scully

      Daniel Scully answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      I’ve never thought about how that works, I just ignorantly use them!
      Hayley’s idea of permanent ink staining the surface, but temporary markers just sitting on it sounds plausible to me though.

    • Photo: Peta Foster

      Peta Foster answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      Yes I agree with Hayley that it has to do with the solvent.

      If you have ever left a whiteboard pen mark on a whiteboard for a long time and tried to rub it off you will find that it is very difficult indeed because all the solvent has gone and it has baked hard onto the surface… however if you then rub over the mark with more whiteboard pen then you add more solvent and suddenly it comes off.

      I love my whiteboard… the first thing that went up there was a big smilie face like this 😀

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