# Dry Erase Markers



## kaje62 (Nov 20, 2001)

We have an easel and have not used the white board yet. A friend told me that dry erase markers are toxic, cancerous or something? Anyone know a safe alternative? Or what can we do with the white side?


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

We have the same kind of easel and the same concerns, so we use Crayola Washable markers AND crayons on the white side. Both will wash off of pretty much anything, including wood and carpet, so they wipe right off. I will warn you, however, that there is some residual shading from both on the white surface. But you know, I think even the dry-erase markers do that. In any case, I wasn't really worried about that since it's an easel for ds.

Those Crayola products are pretty amazing, I must say! Enjoy!


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## mamabeard (Sep 27, 2002)

cancer causing? that sucks. i used to use them frequently. actually, i just bought a dry erase marker and it says "no xylene. organic pigments" is it xylene that's cancer causing?


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

weeeeelllll, at our asthma inservice at school, they're on the list of what asthmatic kids are supposed to avoid. I asked our nurse about this since my class uses them a lot. So do I!!! She said it's okay as long as the area is ventilated.








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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

I'm not a health professional, but I do have a background in public health, including some coursework in Environmental Health. When it comes to stinky stuff like this, I don't wait around for the literature or the medical community to announce that it's unsafe. Everything I've read says that noxious fumes are the MOST dangerous form of toxin to your and your children, primarily because when something is inhaled, it goes directly into your lungs where it is immediately absorbed into the bloodstream and rapidly spread thru your body. Whereas when you eat or drink something toxic, it generally has to be digested before it enters your system (and is often diluted in the process, or even filtered out by your kidneys and liver).

So my general rule is, if I can smell it, it doesn't come in my house. This includes new shower curtains, plastic or vinyl toys, vinyl tablecloths, rubber mattress pads, foam egg crates, and yes, dry erase markers (or any kind of permanent marker, for that matter!). In the case of off-gassing plastic or vinyl stuff, we'll often leave them outside for a LONG time (like months) and then bring it in the house only when it is no longer off-gassing. The really scary stuff is the off-gassing you can't smell, like in pressed wood furniture, which is almost always treated with formaldyhyde (sp?).

BTW, I *think* dry erase markers are referred to in this month's mag in the article on the Feingold diet . . . did anyone else see that or am I remembering wrong? Sorry I can't be more clear on what the offending agents are.


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## tinams8 (Aug 3, 2002)

I have background in this area. Honestly, it amazes me that they still sell anything with xylene in it! It's more commonly seen in paint thinners. If you have a well, and you were to spill a one gallon jug of paint thinner in your yard, you could easily contaminate your water supply for the next 10 years.

I think xylene is a suspected carcinogen, meaning it causes cancer in lab animals but hasn't been proven to cause cancer in humans. (very few things are proven to cause cancer in humans, it's not easy to do.)

So obviously, I'd stay away from the dry erase markers! I am the same way about anything giving off odors...especially plastic products. They aren't allowed in the house.

Edited to add: I just remembered something else about the markers...when I used to work using monitoring equipment for volatile organic compounds we couldn't have markers anywhere near the machines or they would max out. If we thought that a machine was dead we would wave a sharpie marker near it and see if it responded! Meanwhile if we ever detected levels that high at the job site we would shut it down and make everyone put on respirators, LOL.

Tina


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## Ian McAllister (Jan 9, 2015)

*Stinky stuff is toxic*

Yes, I agree, stinky solvents are toxic.

But some modern dry-erase markers such as those at http://wrightmarkers.com don't stink because the solvent that they use is water.

These are particularly beneficial with children, because they can be washed off of skin or out of clothing with plain water. Naturally the longer you leave the marks to settle into the fibers of the clothing the more difficult it will be to remove them, as I'm sure you know.


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## luckiest (Apr 29, 2009)

We use these crayon type things that work on both chalk board and white board. I think they were just crayola? Pretty sure I got them at target. They're great. 


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## MOMentarily Distracted (Jul 30, 2015)

Crayola window crayons and Crayola washable markers work great! I wipe them off with vinegar. There are also liquid chalk marker type things that will show up on white board. But yeah, even low odor dry erase markers still stink. No way am I letting my toddler use those. I hope they won't use them in school. Ugh.


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## MonicaP1987 (Aug 6, 2015)

I would recommend turning the other side into a clipboard using clips and a large pad of paper. Then your child can use non-harmful art utensils like crayons and colored pencils, which don't release any fumes. Good luck!


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## dlz628 (Oct 19, 2015)

Maybe you could paint over it with that blackboard paint and use chalk? We've used that to make an entire blackboard wall, I think it was around $5 per quart


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