Getting stains out of a battlemat

[Cabled]

Mr Clean!

Just a couple weeks ago, we learned that those new little white square "Mr Clean magic erasers" would take darn near *anything* off a battlemat except the lines. Artifacts that had resisted the best efforts to be removed for years were wiped away in seconds. I don't know what's in those erasers...I don't think I'd eat one...but it did an amazing job on the mat.

 

[Taren Seeker]

Try coffee. I was at a con and I spilled my coffee on the DM's 5 year old Map. There were red marker lines all over the place, old stains. After I wiped it up he couldn't believe his eyes.

Black with 2 sugars if it makes a difference

 

[Nikosandros]

No, no, no. I've seen oyster colored Chessex battlemats with large WHITE areas (no grid, no oyster) caused by acetone.

Acetone worked fine for my Chessex Battlemat...

 

[kenobi65]

Red markers (even if they're washable) tend to stain Chessex battlemats, esp. if the red marks are left on for more than a few minutes. I've got stains on mine that I've never been able to get rid of.

Best solution: when you buy a set of markers, throw the red one away. :\

 

[tonym]

Two more nifty tricks to try.

Use WD40.

Also...

Rub over the Red stain with a different color, say BLACK.


Tony M

 

[seankreynolds]

A guy in one of my Gen Con So Cal games suggested toothpaste. I'm guessing the white silica-based kind, not the gel kind.

 

[Andre]

A guy in one of my Gen Con So Cal games suggested toothpaste. I'm guessing the white silica-based kind, not the gel kind.

For water-based markers (such as red), I've found that Dow Bathroom Cleaner ("scrubbing bubbles") works well. Do NOT leave it on the mat too long, however - it will take off the grid.

For permanent markers, I haven't found anything that works every time. I've heard (though not tried) that going over the marks with a water-based marker, allowing the ink to sit overnight, then trying to remove it sometimes works.

 

[Glyfair]

Also, simple age will reduce the stains, usually. I have a couple of Chessex battlemats (which I much prefer to the Crystal Caste ones*) I've had since the early 80's. They have been stained by overhead projector markers that left certain colors behind, permanent markers used in error and a few other things. The stains are barely noticable now and the mats work as well as they ever did.


* I find that the ink beads too much on the Crystal Caste mats. The Chessex mats (at least the older ones) take the mark well and clean up well.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Heh, this reminds of one one time when my DM had left a fallen tree drawn on his mat from a previous session and it stayed on there and would not come off. Now the funny thing is it looked like a certain part of the male body.

 

[Stone Angel]

I once tried a citrus based cleaner and got a sharpie off of a plexi-glass battle board. Can't remember the brand name however. If you have tried vinegar maybe not. Lemon juice perhaps. Try coke I used it to grease, oil, blood, strawberry stains, buffallo sauce, mixed drink stains, almost everything out of my clothes. Just don't let it sit on your battle mat for any lengthened time. Good luck


The Seraph of Earth and Stone