Urgent Help !!! Need to remove pen from tiles

[flashman1207]

My tiler informed me yesterday that the pen he uses to mark tiles before cutting them won't come off the tiles. He reckons he's tried everything and it won't come off. I don't know what sort of pen it is but it's some sort of thin blue marker pen. Whats weird is that the tiles are high quality Italian polished porcelain so I don't think the tiles have 'absorbed' the pen....

Anyone got any tips for removal.....

Thanks
Tony

[silentC]

Sounds like your tiler has the problem, not you. I'd say to him "My pen wont go near my cheque book until yours is off my tiles" :wink:

Try paint thinners maybe.

[DJ’s Timber]

Have you tried White spirits, thinners or maybe Eucalyptus oil. If these won't remove it, maybe you better get the tiler to replace them, with him supplying and installing them at his cost

[flashman1207]

I think he's tried the usual ie meths, white spirits etc with no success. Obviously it's his mistake but it would be preferable to he and I to remove the pen rather than replace the tiles......

[silentC]

It might be worth trying something abrasive, like one of those scotch brite pads or even steel wool. If the glaze is that hard, it shouldn't damage it. But I'd try it on a scrap first. I used a pot scourer to remove some paint from a tile here and it didn't seem to damage the surface of the tile.

[flashman1207]

That might be worth a try. Anyone know what the likelyhood is that the tile has actually 'absorbed' the pen, bearing in mind that it is polished porcelain. If it has then no amount of scrubbing is gonna get it off. In this case maybe a strong solvent could get absorbed as well thereby 'dissolving' the mark....???

[Ashore]

That might be worth a try. Anyone know what the likelyhood is that the tile has actually 'absorbed' the pen, bearing in mind that it is polished porcelain. If it has then no amount of scrubbing is gonna get it off. In this case maybe a strong solvent could get absorbed as well thereby 'dissolving' the mark....???

If the tile has Absorbed the pen then any solvent that removes it may well stain or bleach the tile :rolleyes:

Only advice I can think of is to mark a scrap tile with the pen and use this as a test incase you do damage the surface in the process.


Rgds


Added SHMBO said to try "Penoff " and if that dosn't work make a paste with equal parts talcum powder and powdered borax mixed with methylated spirits, cover and leave for an hour remove with a mix of a cup of metho and 50ml eucalyptus taken from a hint book she has.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I think he's tried the usual ie meths, white spirits etc with no success. Obviously it's his mistake but it would be preferable to he and I to remove the pen rather than replace the tiles......

I wish more of my clients thought along those lines! :rolleyes:

This is where I resort to acetone. A damned good wash of it. Evacuate the kids, turn off the gas''n'power, open all the doors'n'windows and make sure your insurance is paid up first. (Read the warnings on the side of the can; this is dangerous stuff.)

Trying it on a test piece first is always a good idea (you ought to casually mention this concept to your tiler. :D:D) but if the ink has soaked into the tile then this should remove it. No guarantees, of course. :p

[flashman1207]

Thanks but where do i get Acetone from ?????

Tony

[Ashore]

Some nail polish removers are made from Acetone
Also try Chemical suppliers in your local Yellow pages and let your fingers do the walking

Rgds

[flashman1207]

I rang one of the tile companies here and they basically said 'you got no chance'. If the pen is a permanent marker then in their experience nothing will shift it. Apparantly one guy had to redo a whole room. They did mention a new product called nanoscrub which is supposed to be the 'dogs nads' but they haven't actually tried it. i checked the product on the web and the website says nothing of removing pen ink....... Anyways, basically polished porcelain tiles are very porous.....

Will try the acetone though....

[Sir Stinkalot]

Perhaps give Shellite a go!

[tameriska]

Possibly, dip a white plastic eraser in water, and give that a try, shouldnt hurt the polish

[mic-d]

You can buy acetone from the local hardware, it might work. Also try wax and grease remover from supercheap or various thiiners from the paint shop. I don't hold to the what someone said about it not coming off, there is a solvent for most things, it's just a matter of finding it. You're buggered if the tiles are porous(unlikely)

goodluck

Cheers
Michael

[flashman1207]

I did some research on the web and normally porcelain tiles are very good against stains as impervious layer forms when they are fired. When they get polished however, the pores in the tile are opened up thereby making them porous. makes sense I suppose. As for getting the mark out I guess it depends wether the ink can be 'drawn out' of the pores......

[squashedfrog1]

I know this sounds weird but swmbo has used this method with success.

It works on ink on fabric so it wouldn't hurt to try it.

take some full cream milk and leave it in the sun to go off. Seriously. Must be full cream, must sour by itself, you cant accelerate it with vinegar or anything.

Then strain some of the lumpy bits into your fingers and sit them on the ink. On fabric the ink will actually bleed up into the milk solids. It might take a while though to get it up thru the tile. Not sure how that will go.

rinse with a mild vinegar solution.

[flashman1207]

mmm thats an interesting one.... will bear that in mind should nothing else work. Thanks

[Shedhand]

I did some research on the web and normally porcelain tiles are very good against stains as impervious layer forms when they are fired. When they get polished however, the pores in the tile are opened up thereby making them porous. makes sense I suppose. As for getting the mark out I guess it depends wether the ink can be 'drawn out' of the pores......
How many tiles we talkin' about here?

[flashman1207]

7 tiles, 600 x 300. I gave the following a go last night to no avail:

Thinners
Acetone
Screen cleaner
Whiteboard cleaner

None of them shifted the ink at all ......

As I am obviously gonna have to seal the tiles am gonna open a new thread on the subject?

[jimc]

Enjo make a marble paste to remove stuff nothing else will touch. I used that to remove leached in graphite from my porcelain floor tiles with lots of success.

an altenative, although much slower would be toothpaste.

You got to use major amounts of elbow grease and keep applying pressure to the pad/rag you use. Justr make sure its a little damp.

cheers

[Master Splinter]

Paint stripper (methylene chloride).

If that doesn't shift it, try bleaching it with the thickened (toilet cleaning) domestos.

If that doesnt work, then there are breakers available at bunnies for about $80. That'll get them (the tiles) off in no time.

[flashman1207]

Thanks everyone..... have tried just about everything.... gonna replace the tiles now.

[DJ’s Timber]

Dang, what a bummer. Hope this will be at the tilers cost?

[Barry_White]

Try and contact this lady. If she hasn't got an answer just replace the tiles.

http://www.abc.net.au/hobart/stories/s1628526.htm

[squashedfrog1]

definately try contacting Shannon Lush. She's the bee's knees when it comes to cleaning the most obscure things.

Nice one Bazza

[flashman1207]

Thanks all....

[Wood Butcher]

This maybe a dumb question, but what sort of tiler uses a pen to mark the tiles for cutting knowing it may stain the tiles. My FIL was a tiler and his comment on this is that this tiler is a complete wanker!

[gpkennedy]

There is a sponge product in supermarkets which I have used to remove ink stains from walls and furniture. One goes by the brand name Magic Sponge.
But there are other brands, including Chux Magic eraser (hard surface cleaner)
You use them with water. Give one a try. They are also good to clean grubby benchtops and similar.
If this does not work get a whiteboard marker, generally matching the colour of your tiles, and just dab a bit on the permanent stain and wipe off when still wet.

[flashman1207]

Tiler has replaced tiles, problem solved.... i guess he has learned a valuable lesson !!!! And so have I......

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

This maybe a dumb question, but what sort of tiler uses a pen to mark the tiles for cutting knowing it may stain the tiles. My FIL was a tiler and his comment on this is that this tiler is a complete wanker!

:U