permanent marker on driveway ..

[itswillist 14]

Hey guys, anybody out there know of something that takes permanent marker off of driveway without leaving an uneven white mark on that area ??? I have a client who wants me to take off some purple perm. marker his 5 yr. old daughter had a "fun time" on the driveway with. But he doesn't want the whole thing cleaned, just the marker w/ no "Bright spots" where I worked.... ?? any ideas ? something easy to get as this job is on Monday (feb. 26th)

thanks again,

[We Wash Concrete 64]

Nope. I wouldn't clean it unless I could clean the entire area. Getting the perm. marker up should not be any problem, but even if you don't use a chemical, you will still see a cleaner area where you worked. What does your customer plan on paying for the job? 30 bucks?

[Camelot 68]

I agree with Micah...spot cleaning surfaces only leads to more problems. Typically, spot cleaning leaves the customer with the same result sort of "in reverse"...instead of purple marker on light concrete, he'll have white spots on dark concrete. Don't do it if you can't clean the whole surface, he won't be happy.

[RyanH 14]

Take the customer a bottle of rubbing alcohol (or acetone + gloves) and a toothbrush and have him accomplish two things at once: a cheap solution to an easy problem, and a lesson for his 5 year old daughter.

[itswillist 14]

kool, I'll try it out... Sounds good to me, will it leave a white spot ?

"30 bucks" - Nope this is a house wash (2 story 4K sq. ft.) I told him I would see if I could remove the marker while I was there, take a few min. if it works I'll increase my chances of getting repeat from him next year. A simple "freebie" goes a mile...

[We Wash Concrete 64]

Is this house in a subdivison or are there neighbors close? The reason I ask is if you clean that size of a house, and neighbors notice that you didn't clean the driveway, your chances of getting a house close by because of them noticing you will be hurt. I would offer to clean the drive at 50% off if I had too. If there are houses of the same size around that need cleaned, I may even clean the drive at no charge if it was of normal size. Just my opinion, but like you said, sometimes freebies go a long way.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

The search button goes a long way, but I did it for you. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/no-more-art-graffiti-removal/4534-black-marker-concrete.html

You will not get the marker off without having a clean spot. Tell the customer that if you can get the marker off, he gets the driveway done. You negotiate the price.

Also, update your signature according to the forum rules.

[itswillist 14]

ahh, this driveway is pretty big.. No way could I clean it for free, I'll think about the 50% off deal. He may go with it ...

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I think I would get a before and after for sure - or several. This is an opportunity to touch other parents in a way they can relate to. How many parents have to solve this or a similar type problem due to their child's emerging creativity? People advertise that they correct homeowner errors, well here's one that is not hubby oriented. Maybe this is another example of things that happen at home, and how your expertise can correct them.

Just an idea....

Beth