If yous've been doodling since before you could form full sentences, chances are you take a range of markers and felt tips lying around your home. Somehow these drawing companions breed in my studio infinite, and I seem to have a minor ground forces of Copics, Sharpies, and Touch markers constantly within arm's reach. These markers tend to dry out out before they fully die out, and it can be frustrating and expensive to keep replacing struggling tools.

This tutorial covers two different techniques for reviving water-based markers as well as non-h2o soluble or paint markers. The first method uses submersion in h2o to try and invigorate dried out ink that is sitting where the marking felt (or fibre) meets the inner tube ink cartridge. The second method uses vinegar to try and dab at the markers' ink to break through built up and dried out mark droppings within the acme of the tip.

You can usually tell if your marker is water-based by reading the label, otherwise often non-water based markers have an overwhelming precipitous chemic olfactory property that gives them away.

For this tutorial you lot will need:

  • H2o-based markers that are drying out
  • One small bowl, glass, or cup
  • One small dish or jar hat
  • A canvass of paper
  • White household vinegar
  • Water simply below boiling indicate

Start by sorting through your markers and checking their condition. If any markers are clearly beyond repair and are totally dried out, chuck them in the bin. When the tip of a marking has totally dried out, or feels like information technology's fossilised when touching paper, it'due south probably across the point of repair. This exercise is to save your markers before they get to that point.

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

The h2o submersion method:

  1. Heat water to but below boiling and pour it into a small-scale bowl, glass or loving cup. Leave your hot water for about two minutes to let information technology cool slightly, to prevent the water being too hot and melting whatsoever plastic parts of your markers.
  2. Once you've got your basin of hot h2o, submerge the whole tip of your water-based marker for v minutes. Make sure you lot take submerged the role of your marker where the felt tip meets the casing of the marker.
  3. After about a infinitesimal you should notice ink from your marker starting time to bleed into your water. This is a good sign, and indicates that the warmth of the h2o has got your marker running freely again. You can encounter in my photos below the black ink is moving through my glass of h2o, and information technology looks similar to the way a driblet of food dye spreads in h2o.
  4. Shake off any excess h2o and supervene upon your marker lid. Go out your marking to dry off in a cool dry place for 24 hours before testing it over again.

The vinegar method:

  1. Pour ordinary white household vinegar into a pocket-size dish or jar lid .
  2. Very carefully, dip the tip lightly and quickly into the vinegar. You lot don't desire to submerge the tip as it tin be likewise corrosive for some markers and ruin them.
  3. Dab the marking tip swiftly in and out of the vinegar 5-ten times, in the hopes that the vinegar will penetrate the pen tip and cutting through whatsoever granulated chunks of ink. By using this method, you're essentially lightly cleaning the marker felt.
  4. In one case you've dabbed your marker with vinegar, replace the cap and leave it to dry out off in a cool place for 24 hours earlier testing information technology again.

You can see in the photo beneath how lilliputian of the marking tip needs to be in contact with vinegar to be constructive. Piece of work slowly and gently to brand sure you don't accidentally drown your mark in vinegar.

Another method I ended upwardly using was flicking some drops of vinegar directly onto a chopping board (or any other work surface) and rolling the tips of my green marker in the vinegar. This eliminated any accidental submersion and gave me more than control over how much vinegar I let onto my marker.

Lastly, come dorsum the adjacent 24-hour interval and see the results of your piece of work. This is my h2o-based marking the twenty-four hours subsequently the water submersion method and it's bought information technology back to life.

Tips for preserving the life of your markers:

  • Always store your markers in a cool, dry out place, like you would tubes of acrylic pigment.
  • If you tin, store your markers upside downward with the lid downwards, and so the ink runs towards the tip.
  • If you live in an extremely hot climate, consider refrigerating your markers.
  • Ensure you always supercede the hat of your markers and double check they are on securely. This is the unmarried virtually important tip for improving the lifespan of markers.

Let u.s.a. know your ain tips and tricks for bringing back markers to life in the comments.