Sharpie on Game Carts

[Fischer500]

I recently acquired a few SNES games from a friend of my grandfather. They're all in great shape, most with manuals and one with the box. The only problem is the Sharpie that the previous owners used to label the games. Sharpie on games really bugs me, and if possible, I'd like to remove it. Is there any sure-fire way to get it off??

[godslabrat]

Scrape off excess ink with your fingernail, then scrub the rest with rubbing alcohol.

[Chuck D. Head]

Scrape off excess ink with your fingernail, then scrub the rest with rubbing alcohol.

The higher percentage alcohol it is, the better it works and the harder it is on the labels, so be careful. Morgan

[MagitekAngel]

One thing I do is repeatedly stick and pull a piece of gaffer's tape on and off the marker. It takes patience, but you can get all of it off this way.

[Fischer500]

What's gaffer's tape? The fingernail/alcohol works well, but I still see it, faintly.

[tz101]

Rubbing alcohol works great on sharpie and permanent marker. Just be careful if its on the label as you may remove some of the original artwork?

[endrien]

This video explains pretty well how to remove it.

[MagitekAngel]

Gaffers tape is used mostly in theater and film production: it's very strong, but comes off cleanly, so it's good for use on labels. Stuff is expensive though. Unless you know someone in theatre or film, you're probably better off with the rubbing alcohol.

[Fischer500]

Great, I'll just run out and get me some of that cleaner he had! (Seriously.)

[+remowilliams]

Goo Gone is your best friend. Won't destroy plastic and can be used directly on many labels. Techspray 1613-6S will also work wonders. You won't find anything better than these two.

[endrien]

Goo Gone is your best friend. Won't destroy plastic and can be used directly on many labels. Techspray 1613-6S will also work wonders. You won't find anything better than these two.

Goo gone doesn't do shit to old sharpie, I've tried on multiple nes games, scrubbing and even dousing the cart in it to scrub again. It will not remove old sharpie, maybe new sharpie but definitely did not work for me. Goof off works well though.

[+Psionic]

Goo Gone is your best friend. Won't destroy plastic and can be used directly on many labels. Techspray 1613-6S will also work wonders. You won't find anything better than these two.

Goo gone doesn't do shit to old sharpie, I've tried on multiple nes games, scrubbing and even dousing the cart in it to scrub again. It will not remove old sharpie, maybe new sharpie but definitely did not work for me. Goof off works well though.

That Goof Off stuff he used in the video does work, but you have to be careful because it can damage plastics.

[SlowCoder]

Never tried it on labels, but I've used dry erase markers to remove permanent marker from plastic. Just write over the permanent with the dry erase then immediately wipe off. Multiple repeats may be required.

[Video]

Never tried it on labels, but I've used dry erase markers to remove permanent marker from plastic. Just write over the permanent with the dry erase then immediately wipe off. Multiple repeats may be required.

Seconded

I was just about to say this myself. I don't know what it is, but the chemicals in dry erase markers will dissolve sharpie like magic. Just wipe it off while the dry erase is still wet.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Video

[Eltigro]

Never tried it on labels, but I've used dry erase markers to remove permanent marker from plastic. Just write over the permanent with the dry erase then immediately wipe off. Multiple repeats may be required.

Seconded

I was just about to say this myself. I don't know what it is, but the chemicals in dry erase markers will dissolve sharpie like magic. Just wipe it off while the dry erase is still wet.

 

Sharpie ink is soluble in alcohol. That's why alcohol works so nicely. The dry erase markers have alcohol based inks, I believe, and that's why it works like it does.

 

One fun thing you can do with sharpies and alcohol... put a plastic trash bag inside a white t-shirt, write or draw a design on the t-shirt with various color sharpies, then drip alcohol on the writing and design. Since the sharpie ink is alcohol soluble, the ink will "run" outward from where the drop hit. It makes a neat kind of tie-dye effect. (The trash bag inside the shirt keeps the design and ink from leaking through to the back of the shirt, so the design is only on the front.) Did this in a science class once when we were studying solubility.

[Video]

That sounds totally cool, I"m going to have to try that sometime, the shirt thing I mean.

[Chuck D. Head]

 

That Goof Off stuff he used in the video does work, but you have to be careful because it can damage plastics.

 

Be aware, there are two grades of Goof-off. the original Goof-off is very agressive and can be damaging to labels. Goof-off 2 is milder and more like Goo-gone. I also found there is a difference between the aerosol "Electonics Cleaner", and "Contact Cleaner", having tried to clean a potentiometer with contact cleaner and having it eat up a trace on a PCB. Later learned I should use "Tuner Cleaner" for a pot. Live and learn. Morgan

[Fischer500]

I got some of that Goof Off, which took the Sharpie right off. Problem NOW is that it left a milky sheen on the cart. Rubbing Alcohol made it look as if it was gone, but it came back. I'll try the cleaner again, but I really don't know what I should do. I doubt there's anything I can do, but suggestions are welcome!

[+remowilliams]

I got some of that Goof Off, which took the Sharpie right off. Problem NOW is that it left a milky sheen on the cart. Rubbing Alcohol made it look as if it was gone, but it came back. I'll try the cleaner again, but I really don't know what I should do. I doubt there's anything I can do, but suggestions are welcome!

 

That's because as was said above - Goof Off eats plastic..

[Fischer500]

I got some of that Goof Off, which took the Sharpie right off. Problem NOW is that it left a milky sheen on the cart. Rubbing Alcohol made it look as if it was gone, but it came back. I'll try the cleaner again, but I really don't know what I should do. I doubt there's anything I can do, but suggestions are welcome!

 

That's because as was said above - Goof Off eats plastic..

 

 

I thought about that. I figure that if I go over the cart with one wipe, rather than scrubbing, it might come off. I've yet to try, as I have to bathe my cat.

[SlowCoder]

I've yet to try, as I have to bathe my cat.

Need to reconsider your priorities.

[Fischer500]

I've yet to try, as I have to bathe my cat.

Need to reconsider your priorities.

That made me laugh.

The cats have since been bathed, and the carts cleaned. They look *much* better.

[Eltigro]

I've yet to try, as I have to bathe my cat.

Need to reconsider your priorities.

That made me laugh.

The cats have since been bathed, and the carts cleaned. They look *much* better.

 

My question is, did the cats have sharpie on them, too? And did you try goof off, goo gone, or alcohol on them?

[Fischer500]

I've yet to try, as I have to bathe my cat.

Need to reconsider your priorities.

That made me laugh.

The cats have since been bathed, and the carts cleaned. They look *much* better.

 

My question is, did the cats have sharpie on them, too? And did you try goof off, goo gone, or alcohol on them?

Nah, my cats hate Sharpies.If they did, Goof Off is bad, as cats absorb toxins through their skin. Goof Off, if ingested, can kill you. According to the tin. Goo Gone would make them smell citrus-y. Cats don't like citrus. Alcohol would probably be bad for kitty as well. If they had Sharpie in their fur, I'd shave'em.

 

I gave this too much thought...

[Mord]

 

My question is, did the cats have sharpie on them, too? And did you try goof off, goo gone, or alcohol on them?

Nah, my cats hate Sharpies.If they did, Goof Off is bad, as cats absorb toxins through their skin. Goof Off, if ingested, can kill you. According to the tin. Goo Gone would make them smell citrus-y. Cats don't like citrus. Alcohol would probably be bad for kitty as well. If they had Sharpie in their fur, I'd shave'em.

 

I gave this too much thought...

 

Yes, yes you did.

 

Next time just say you learned from past experiences about using Goo Gone on cats - and that a regular bath for them is cheaper than the reconstructive surgery you have to go through on the other path.

 

Most people won't even need a sarcasm flag!