HELP MUMSNET!! How do you get biro off a painted wall - staying at Mum's house!!

[misspollysdolly]

Mum and Dad due back from holiday tomorrow - we are leaving this evening and DS has just drawn on a newly painted (matt emulsion) wall with biro!! ARGGHH! What will take the mark off without smudging??!!

DS on naughty chair wailing as I type...

is there any paint left?

one of them flash sponges?

shlleylou, yes it's just a surface mark - not deep gauge or anything...

seriously, those flash sponges are fab, we have a few on standby BUT i can't remember if i have used it on biro before.

I think shelly lou meant if there is some spare paint left, use it and paint over the biro.

Agree Meeely2, they are fab and I do believe they work well on biro too!

try some toothpaste. That works well for me.

But do be gentle, it's quite abrasive.

Those flash sponges are brilliant. I have got biro off walls and rubber flooring with them. If you have a local Home Bargains they do a version for about 90p for 2.

Have you tried a wet wipe? Failing that an E-cloth will probably do it.

Or Homebase!

Do you think any of these will work on wallpaper? my kitchen has stripes

yes i did mean to paint over it

really, toothpaste has gotton biro off a painted wall in my house.

try wet wipes, when dd was little we visited some friends and she drew on their antique leather topped table with a biro, dh distracted them in the kitchen while i desperately tried to clean the mess, it all came off with a wet wipe.

we never told them it happened

Make up some warm water with detergent and scrub off.

Hairspray.

Jif/cif cream cleaner
a paste of bicarb of soda?

Of course when you do one patch you then have to wash down the whole wall ...

An eraser worked for me last week .
Good luck x

I don't mean to be unhelpful but whatever else you do, don't paint over it.... our decorator says you can never paint over biro... Hope the removal suggestions work!

Any success misspollysdolly?

Weeeeell...bit of a saga really. 'Helpful' FIL came round (can sense you all wincing at this point...!) with some magic chemical that he has previously used - but it would seem NOT on a matt emulsion wall. ARRRGH! Dabs a bit on and it leaves a huge greasy mark - NIGHTMARE!

So DH finds spare paint (a la shellylou - thanks and sorry for being a bit dim earlier!!) and paints over the biro and now awful mark. Looks fine head-on but from the side you can still see that something untoward has occurred - so will have to seriously 'fess up and offer to pay for wall being repainted in necessary. What a nightmare!

Mum and Dad have just had house totaly re-furb'd after massive flood a year ago (six months living in temporary accommodation) so a bit sensitive re house issues. Will probably notice straight away once home from hols.

Now wishing I'd just left the (relatively small) biro marks and shown them there and then. Much less stress that way. Ho hum...! Thanks for all the suggestions - only sorry FIL got there first...

DAMN!

I've used 'Bounce' tumble dryer sheets to get marks off walls before, they worked a treat.

Baby wipes are fab.

The flash sponges pulled the paint of SILswall so be careful.

I know from experience that baby wipes work wonders.
On anything! Thank god for baby wipes otherwise i'd have to run! (Dh very houseproud )