Cleaning Sharpy off formica
#20
My first try would be to spread mayonnaise over the mark and leave it overnight.  The  mayo is almost 90% oil and won't run.  The oil, if left overnight will soften most adhesives and may work on the marking pen.  It is perfectly safe and is worth a try if you have any mayo in the house. 

Leave it overnight and wipe it off and then use soapy water to remove the oily residue.  If it does not work you can always try something stronger.

This from Sharpie:

The principle solvents are alcohols, but they also contain ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. All other Sharpie ink colors are Permchrome ink. For these the principlesolvents are also alcohols, but no glycol ethers are used.
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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#21
Denatured alcohol. Those wipes are probably isopropyl which has a lot of water in it.
RD
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#22
(11-26-2017, 09:09 PM)Halfathumb Wrote: Thanks folks I've been busy in the shop all day. I used accetone. Worked great.

Acetone is my go-to sharpie remover. 
Yes
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#23
It is probably best not to let your Shar Pei on the counter tops in the first place.
Big Grin
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#24
How about a poly top? I refinished a table top for my daughter with 7 coats of Minwax gloss poly.  My 8 yr old grandson took this as a challenge. My son in law did his best with mineral spirits but you can still see the permanent marker spot. Will any of the suggestion here work without damaging the poly?
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#25
Sandpaper?  It may only  have penetrated one or two layers.  Sand it off and add another top coat.
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#26
Sorry to be so late to this thread. It appears you have found a solution. However, I may have a less harsh solution for use in the future.
I have a work table in the shop with Formica on it. Occasionally, I will clean all the accumulated crud off of it. Once I used lacquer thinner and I noticed that the Formica got a little tacky after a short time. There was no permanent damage, but I sure wouldn't use lacquer thinner on a kitchen counter or table top. I have since found that saw blade cleaner works quite well on sharpie marks. At least the cleaner I have works. Just spray it on and let it soak for a minute. You may want to agitate (not scrub) it a little with a stiff brush or a fine 3M pad. Then, just wipe it off. You may want to wash it and maybe wax it after.
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#27
(11-26-2017, 09:09 PM)Halfathumb Wrote: Thanks folks I've been busy in the shop all day. I used accetone. Worked great.

Yes.  What I usually used, since unlike lacquer thinner which contains MEK, is much safer health-wise for you to use.
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#28
(11-26-2017, 10:33 AM)Halfathumb Wrote: I've tried an alcohol pad but very slow and tedious

Acetone will do it. It even softens up hard paint brushes. Give it some time to do its magic. The fragrance always reminds me of my model airplane fuel days. I used to build free flights than ran on Fox engines.
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