Lena+Sander+&+Zoe+Bannan

Which Cleaner Removes Sharpie the Best?

Purpose: What substance removes permanent marker from a wall the most successfully? People have various different ways to do so, but most want to know what removes it best.

Research: “ The Magic Eraser measures about 4.5 inches by 2.5 inches by 1 inch, feels like foam, and has a very fine grit that can be felt on the surface when the eraser is dry” (Carey 3). The magic eraser has been around for 10 years and is still changing. Many different types of this eraser are manufactured such as one made especially for bathrooms and one that is scented with Febreeze. For experiment we are using the original Magic Eraser. Reviews that we’ve read have shown only positive things about the Magic Eraser, so we believe that will remove sharpie from the wall the best. Another cleaner that we are going to try is Germ-X hand sanitizer. Germ-X’s main ingredient is ethyl alcohol. “ Because the ethanol molecule also has a nonpolar end, it will also dissolve nonpolar substances, including most [|essential oils] and numerous flavoring, coloring, and medicinal agents” (Hand 5). Sharpie is a coloring, so being nonpolar, it will be dissolved by the ethyl alcohol. Colgate Total toothpaste is also being tested. “ Alternatively, sodium fluoride is used as a cleaning agent (Colgate 9). Since sodium fluoride is the main active ingredient in toothpaste, it will also clean the sharpie off of the wall.

Hypothesis: The magic eraser will remove the marker stain the fastest and most thorough than the other substances we are testing.

Materials: Active Ingredients:
 * A box of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers
 * Bottle of Germ-X hand sanitizer
 * 1 tube of Colgate Total toothpaste
 * 1 Black sharpie (heavy duty, think)
 * 4 sections 13.02cm x 18.42cm rectangular wood plaques
 * Rust-Oleum Grey Aerosol Primer
 * Timer
 * Camera
 * Camera
 * Colgate: Sodium fluoride 0.24%
 * Germ-X Hand Sa nitizer: Ethyl Alcohol
 * Mr Clean Magic Eraser: Polyurethane foam Absorbent foam, Polyurethane polymer Adhesive, Melamine Polymer abrasive foam

Methods:


 * 1) Prime the four plaques and let sit for 35 minutes
 * 2) Then paint and let sit for 24 hours
 * 3) Set up the four pieces of wood
 * 4) Then we will draw a 4 inch line of sharpie on the board and let it sit for 5 minutes.
 * 5) We will then scrub the sharpie mark with the cleaner of choice with hard pressure for 15 seconds.
 * 6) After each 15 second interval, we will photograph the line to compare which faded the fastest.
 * 7) We will then see how many 15 second periods that it takes each one to completely remove the marker.
 * 8) After all cleaners and substances have been tested, we will determine which one removed the marker stain the fastest and most effectively.

Data:
 * = __**Cleaner**__ ||= __**Time to Remove Sharpie**__ ||= __**Condition of Wall**__ ||
 * < Mr. Clean Magic Eraser ||< 24.23 sec ||< slightly faded ||
 * < Original Germ-X ||< 30.19 sec ||< discolored, took off some paint ||
 * < Colgate Total ||< did not remove after 2 min ||< no change ||

Over all, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser removed the sharpie mark most effectively. It worked the fastest and damaged the pain the least out of the cleaners that worked. The Germ-X worked second best but it did damage the wall slightly. If you are trying to remove marker, do not use toothpaste. It barely faded the mark after two minutes of hard scrubbing.

__Bibliography__ Carey, Bryan. "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser." Consumer Reviews. N.p., 10 May 2010. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

"Colgate Triple Action Original Mint Flouride." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

"Hand Sanitizer: For the Health of Your Family." Hand Sanitizer- Germ-X Â» For the Health of Your Family Â«. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

"Procter & Gamble." Mr. Clean. N.p., 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.