Friday, January 27, 2012

Revive your Dried Sharpie Marker



I made a great big batch of Chili the other day and preserved it in my pressure canner.  That is what I did, because I do things like that.
Then, I went to an office supply store to buy some labels for my newly jarred chili.  This is what I did, because I do things like that.
While at the office supply store, I walked right past the aisle filled with Sharpies and thought to myself "Huh, my Sharpie's all dried out.  I should probably buy another one, 'cause I'll need it to write my labels." And then it seemed like the biggest ordeal and expense in the world to buy a Sharpie, so I left the store without one even though I knew the one I had at home was dried up and I really needed to buy one.  That is what I did, because I do things like that.  All the time.
So when I got home I checked to see if the Sharpie Fairy had visited me, and indeed she had not.  My Sharpie was still as dried up as it was the last time I tried to use it.  It was not self-lubricating as I had hoped.
So I did this ….

Checked one last time to see if my Sharpie tip was still dried out.

(it's usually the tip that's dried out, not the ink that's gone)

It was.  Dried out I mean.

Grabbed a bottle of Rubbing Alcohol.

Poured some into the cap.

Dipped the tip of the Sharpie into the cap filled with Rubbing Alcohol.

I left it  until I could see a bit of ink swirling out.

I put the cap back on the Sharpie and left it for 15 minutes.

Pulled my cap off and tried again.

That is what I did, because I do things like that.  All the time.
This trick will not revive allllll markers. Sometimes, some things are just too far gone to be revived with a little bit of alcohol.
(For a non permanent marker do the same thing but use water)

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