Clean permanent marker off projector lens

[ken_kaniff]

Some little bar steward has written the word 'poo' onto one of our projector lenses in permanent marker. i'm a little wary about using a solvent based cleaner to remove it as i'm unsure of what that would do to the lens coating (?)

i'm not really sure what the best approach is. It's not really affecting picture quality, and i fear i could make it much worse if i damage the lens.

at the same time it needs cleaning off though

any ideas/previous experience would be much appreciated

[Jake]

Gah..I dont know...the things teachers will do when they're bored

[Disease]

Iam sorry but, LOL. Thats one of the funniest things I have heard.

[indie]

In the past I've used whiteboard cleaner to take ink off a projector lens. I'm pretty sure they're not coated with anything but it might be an idea to check before hand.

[ken_kaniff]

it appears to have a two-tone metallic coating like a camera lens

[indiegirl]

[slightly off topic] - did they think to write it on backwards so that it projected onto the screen properly??

[ken_kaniff]

no. for some reason they felt they needed to write it upside-down. it doesn't project anyway

[Ric_]

[slightly off topic] - did they think to write it on backwards so that it projected onto the screen properly??

You aren't the only one that was wondering that

[deerwood]

try writing over it in dry erase marker, then rubbing it off.. sounds weird but it works ith perm marker on a whiteboard so may work on a lens too

[Ric_]

try writing over it in dry erase marker, then rubbing it off.. sounds weird but it works ith perm marker on a whiteboard so may work on a lens too

You're right, it does sound wiered! I may have to try writing on a whiteboard with permanent marker to see what happens

[CyberNerd]

methanol, ethanol or isopropanol from the science dept works a treat on whiteboards.
Depends on what the coating on the lens is as to whether is will dissolve it - check with the manufacturer

[PsychoTech83]

Deerwood is right, the dry erase marker trick usually works a treat!

[john]

Yup, thats how I shift it, good old dry wipe marker. Also deoderant is useful (also hair spray, but I aint in to hair spray, but have deoderant).