Cleaning ball point pen ink from LCD screens?
If your kid sometimes decides to show off his drawing skills on a $600 LCD monitor that you use everyday and you want a quick solution (no, water doesn’t work) here is one:
I used the tiniest amount of isopropyl alcohol (generic walgreens brand) with a moist wipe to clean it up. It worked well for me.
Marilyn Said,
May 2, 2006 @ 6:30 am
Thanks I’ll be sure to pick up the alcohol on the way home. My daughter thought it would be fun to scribble with an ink pen on my brand new LCD monitor and now the ink is such a distraction. Hope this method works. Thanks again!
Ben Said,
May 2, 2006 @ 6:13 pm
This worked like a charm! My little one decided to draw me a picture on my laptop and the LCD next to it as well and the alcohol worked like magic. I used a soft cloth, like the kind for cleaning eye glasses.
Thanks for the tip!
Ben Tupper
Vic Pandya Said,
July 24, 2006 @ 3:05 am
This is a great tip. As an old-timer who has been messing with electronics for over 20 years now, I can vouch for the fact that isopropyl alcohol is well and truly a ‘wonder cure’ to fix many many common (and some not-so-common) problems with electronic devices and circuits.
Believe it or not, over the years, I’ve brought many dead PC mainboards back to life simply by cleaning them with a paint brush dipped in isopropyle.
Hope this tip helps others like Marilyn and Ben.
Oren Said,
October 14, 2006 @ 3:34 am
What a useful tip. It worked just great.
Thanks a lot!
Oren
Mike Said,
January 21, 2007 @ 10:14 am
Worked great for me too! Thanks for the tip!
Josh Said,
February 1, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I am a doctor who looks at CT scans on my home computer when I’m on call. My three year old drew on the brand new digital monitor right in the middle of the screen. It worked instantly.
Mikhail Said,
April 14, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
Thank you for having this, my 4 year old(who I thought was old enough) used a black pen for tracing. I used the alcohol and it worked. I’m done sweating!!
Trina of New Jersey Said,
June 17, 2007 @ 2:41 pm
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH…. MY 4 YEAR OLD DECIDED TO WRITE ON MY MONITOR WITH A PEN AND WROTE TWO LONG LINES UP AND DOWN MY COMPUTER AND I JUST GOOGLED THE QUESTION AND THIS SITE CAME UP AND I WAS SCARED BUT THE ALCOHOL WORKED!!! I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT…. THANKS SO MUCH NOW I CAN GET BACK TO WORK.
Marie Said,
June 26, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Thank you so much!!! My 2 year old managed to get her hands on a pen and mark up a brand new I-Mac. After contacting the Mac Store where we purchased it, they recommended that we search online. This worked like a charm! You’ve saved a very expensive machine! Thank you!
Murray Said,
July 3, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
I first tried a professional LCD screen cleaning kit. Nada.
Then the isopropyl alcohol. Voila!
Thanks very much.
JImC Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 9:08 am
My 2-1/2 year old grandson used ball point on my new lcd screen. I googled this answer - thank you
JImC Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 9:11 am
My 2-1/2 year old grandson used my lcd monitor to demonstrate his Rembrandt skills - I googled for this answer - thank you
HK Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 9:17 am
We had pen marks from where someone pressed a pen against the LCD screen of our new iMac at work. Water wouldn’t work but the alcohol saved the day. Thank you!
madame Said,
August 19, 2007 @ 11:20 am
thank you! it truly saved the day… my 4 yr old daughter started scribbling on our lcd monitor to add more drawings on her Paint art … i also googled for this answer…
LuAnn Said,
August 27, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
Thank you so much. My 2 1/2 yr old granddaughter thought it would be fun to color on my lcd screen with both blue ink and red ink. I was going crazy trying to find something to clean if off with until this site. Happy I am now.
Anna-Mette Kolding Denmark Said,
September 10, 2007 @ 6:21 am
Hallo everybody. Our 2½ yr old son also decided to show of his drawing skills. There are apparently no sites in Denmark on this particular problem, allthough I find it hard to believe that he is the only kid in Denmark who would draw on the monitor! I googled it, and voilà. Thanx a lot. Anna-Mette, Denmark
Crystal Said,
September 10, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
Thanks so much for the advice… My 18 month old found a pen and went to town all over my LCD monitor and my desk. I used the alcohol and it came off both the screen and desk. I also have microfiber sued couches and he has got to those with pen and the rubbing alcohol works on that too. Thank you!
JAmes Said,
September 12, 2007 @ 6:39 pm
Works Great Thank you
denise Said,
September 19, 2007 @ 8:26 am
i was reaching for my rolodox with a pen in my hand and managed to get a huge pen mark on my brand new apple cinema display!!! i started to panic when i tried to rub it off with a tissue and it wouldn’t budge. decided to google it and the alcohol worked like magic. thank you so much!!!
denise
toronto, canada
Patricia Said,
October 7, 2007 @ 6:23 pm
THANK YOU
Ellen Said,
October 20, 2007 @ 8:20 am
This works great! I was a little leary on what to use. We just got this computer and our 3 year old daughter decided to draw us a picture. We didn’t know it was on our computer screen. I put a little bit of alcohol on a soft cloth and it is all gone. I can’t believe how easy it was. Thank you to whomever put this idea on here.
Elvio Said,
November 2, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
My 2 year old daughter is so creative… isopropyl alcohol worked perfect with both ball pen and marker drawings !!!
Thank you !!!
Ken Said,
November 29, 2007 @ 3:02 pm
Holy cow did this tip save the day! and a bunch of money!
THANK YOU!
Keith Thompson Said,
December 1, 2007 @ 8:40 am
After my 2 1/2 year old drew on our lcd monitor I googled “daughter drew pen on my lcd monitor” and this page came up. Thank you for you simple yet effective cure.
Hoppin_mad Said,
December 10, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
I was livid when I found that my 2 year old grand son used a red ball point pen to color my new 24″ Viewsonic LCD monitor. I Googled this solution. Brilliant! All pen markings are off. Now, does anyone have a solution to remove the indentations and cuts the ballpoint pen made?
Dominick, NJ Said,
December 20, 2007 @ 6:34 pm
You saved my monitor, the rubbing alcohol worked fantastic!! My two year old used a common blue ink pen to write all over my monitor. I thought it was a gonner. Thanks.
Christian k Said,
January 3, 2008 @ 9:09 pm
OMG, thank you so much, i maked a tiny mark on my new acer screen while doing a exam sheet. and i saw it and went from my Screen cleaners, to water. It wouldnt do anything. And then i found this thread, and i was thinking, na it would mess the moniter up, but all these ppl said it would work. so i put some rubbin alcohol and a end of a rag, and rubed the dot, then cleaned it with screen cleaner really good right after it happend, FIX, i was like thank god. Thanks again.
Christian!
adam C Said,
January 7, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
Wow…worked so well…and yes my 3 year old daughter drew all over the moniter and it worked perfect.
Katja and Ocean B Said,
January 8, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
My son decided to draw on our apple cinema screen with a black pen and left it looking HORRIBLE. I was panicking and figured we would have to pay big bucks to get the screen fixed , after reading this simple tip… I AM SO HAPPY AND RELIEVED, THANK YOU ! ! !
ProudMommy Said,
January 10, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
My very sly 2 yearhold, Home sick with the Chicken Pox dcided to write all over my brand ne LCD screenw ith a ball point per while I went to the bathroom.
The only solution I found, Was a small amount of fingernail polish diluted with water, gently wiped across the ink took it right off!! No damage to the screen at all!!!
Hailey Said,
January 16, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
WOW!!! Thanks. This would have been the 2nd screen my son ruined. He took a toy train w/magnetic ends to the 1st one, no fixing that! But ball point pen came right off! I saw on other sight to use 70% isopropyl, so I did! Amazing, my screen actually looks better now than it did before the pen accident.
Bree Said,
April 9, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
THANK YOU! Worked beautifully!
angee Said,
April 19, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
THANKS! THE ALCOHOL WORKED GREAT ON OUR NEW 28″ LCD MONITOR AFTER OUR 4 YEAR OLD WROTE ON IT WITH A PEN.
Sikata Said,
May 14, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
Thank you worked like a charm!!!
Bill Said,
May 26, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
Thanks! Worked great! Used 70% isopropyl alcohol saturated pads to wipe off ballpoint pen marks our 2 year son made on our new 22″ LCD monitor.
tonz Said,
July 5, 2008 @ 6:22 am
Use a little Listerine on a cotton ball. Easy as, came off in seconds.
Victoria Said,
August 8, 2008 @ 3:41 pm
My 18month old just coloured on my LCD monitor for the second time. This time was much worse then the last time so i googled this.
I didn’t have any rubbing alcohol so i used a drop of hand sanitizer(the old kind that was high in alcohol)
IT WORKED GREAT!!
It even took off the pen from last time and it has been on there for months.
Mark Said,
August 12, 2008 @ 10:38 am
Chalk me up as another thankful person! My 2 and a half year old wrote all over my 24imac LCD screen — I was about to blow a gasket when I found this site. Thanks again.
Debbie in Colorado Said,
August 29, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Love the internet! Love wise suggestions. The rubbing alcohol worked instantly. Only, I made my 3 year old “artist” remove his red and blue ball point ink from the LCD monitor! Perfection!
This will also work on laundry. Only rinse off the rubbing alcohol well with water before laundering.
Kate from Australia Said,
August 31, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
WOW! It works to remove chalk too!
Colin Said,
September 6, 2008 @ 4:06 am
Isopropyl alcohol, Q-tip, and a little rubbing pressure worked beautifully in getting my daughter finger nail polish off my new LCD screen. I don’t know why they call it polish because it’s seems to be as think as some paints I’ve used. Thanks for the help.
Louise Said,
September 20, 2008 @ 4:08 am
I am going to join this huge list of THANK YOU comments.
I had some ink marks on my laptop and I thought I would never get rid of them, until I came across this topic. I didn’t have any isopropyl alcohol in the house right now, so I tried the hand sanitizer tip. The marks are almost completely gone now! You can still see a vague remainder of the marks but you really have to know it to notice. Thank you!
Stéphanie Said,
October 2, 2008 @ 7:44 pm
I’m SOOOOO glad your trick is working. I can stop crying now. I wasn’t strong enough to search by myself (too effraid my computer was good for garbage) and my boyfriend found this site. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Debjani Said,
November 17, 2008 @ 12:53 am
Thank you very much for posting this site. It was first on the list when I googled “cleaning pen off lcd monitor”. My lovely 6 year old daughter decided to use a ball point pen as a pointer, nice to know there are others out there. The screen is as good as new!
Amy Said,
December 9, 2008 @ 8:52 am
OMG Thank you soo much! My son not only drew on my LCD Monitor but my LCD TV as well!!!! I have been soo worried about how to get it off, and it worked wonders!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!
Jessi Said,
December 13, 2008 @ 8:49 am
Yay! This was the first thing that popped up when I googled “remove ballpoint ink from LCD screen,” and the rubbing alcohol removed my 2.5 year old’s artistry instantly!
Rubbing alcohol is a wonder-cure for markings and would have actually been my first guess, but of course I had to do an internet search to double check. I learned that little trick months ago when my daughter “decorated” a wooden tabletop with a permanent marker!