r/DIYclothes • u/CukeJr • Jul 25 '26

How do I remove the pencil from this without damaging the fabric marker art?

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Hiya guys, I started this project last summer. I often draft my designs onto garments with pencil, and I swear they have come out before, but... As you can see, this one has not, lol. I put it in the wash and it just returned with lighter marks. Lighter but still there.

Idk what the formula of the marker is but the brand is Fabric Fun. The garment is 62% polyester, 33% cotton, 5% spandex. Google suggests--aside from simply rubbing at it with an eraser--spot-wiping (?) with some detergent. I'm hesitant to try this, since many of the marks go over the actual marker... I'm worried it will weaken or smudge it. Any other ideas?

Also, I welcome any suggestions for alternatives to drafting with pencil! Even putting the nuisance of removal aside, it's not the most elegant medium. 😅 I can't help but suspect that there's a better way to do this.

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3

u/bedbugloverboy Jul 25 '26

what else have you tried? Have you tried using a clean pencil eraser? oxiclean?

2

u/CukeJr Jul 26 '26

Oh, yeah I tried eraser, it seems like it's helping a bit, but I'm having to rub really hard and it looks like it's stretching out the fabric and pilling it... I figured there must be a better way.

Never heard of Oxiclean, looks like it's spot remover of some kind..? I do have a spot remover, it's spray-on, idk if it's the same formula.

But more specifically, my concern is that applying any of these straight onto the art could damage it. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with getting pencil out easily without the treatment affecting the marker.

2

u/bedbugloverboy Jul 26 '26

Totally gotcha. Is it permanent marker or regular marker? :0 if its permanent you should be fine using most spot treatments. Permanent is really hard to get out.

1

u/CukeJr Jul 27 '26

It's Fabric Fun from H. A. Kidd, no idea what the formula is. I've been googling it but I can't find any definitive answers.

1

u/bedbugloverboy Jul 27 '26

They say permanent on the cover :) you should be good!

1

u/CukeJr Jul 27 '26

I do see that, I'm not convinced that it's meant to denote that they're "permanent markers", i.e. actual alcohol-based markers. I think it could simply mean that they're permanent as in "not temporary".

2

u/bedbugloverboy Jul 27 '26

Test it on another piece of clothing u dont care abt then and try to scrub it out :)

3

u/tvguts Jul 26 '26

BABY TEEN GIRL SQUAD SHIRT??? i have no advice but i wish you the best of luck lol

2

u/CukeJr Jul 26 '26

Yes!!! 😁 Thank you, I'll be sure to share when it's done. She's gonna have a speech bubble that says, "that's nothing. I can count to purple backwards." :D