Recycle your dried out markers

A simple chemical trick to revive and recycle dried markers.

​Tags:
#chemistry #useful chemistry #recycling #miniexperimentforkids #homelab #littlecuriousminds

​From the very beginning, when children start drawing and colouring, they adore markers. We bought crayons and colouring pencils at home for our nieces, but they soon explained: "We have markers in the kindergarten." And this was not a statement, but a hidden message. ;) Why such fascination with markers is still a mystery to me today.

Maybe because they look better on paper? Or because of the smell of the marker, some children really like it's smell? I thought to myself, let's try markers as our little ladies have not asked for something extravagant. I myself love a variety of school, now office, gadgets and my nieces should have their markers as well. The joy when I brought new markers home, was indescribable! They were drawing and colouring all day.

New art pieces are produced one after another and each is incredibly important and should be taken home, even though only one, not little, tiny flower is drawn on it. Sounds familiar? J In the meantime, in the heat of drawing, they naturally forget to put marker caps back on to close the marker, because otherwise it dries out.

​Of course, although we remind children to close the markers, we have to admit that young children unintentionally forget about it and we cannot blame them. The problem arises when markers are no longer writing and colouring, because markers dried out. "Teja, we need new markers" nieces remind me when they can't draw their next big artwork. 

Children sometimes try to soak the marker with water, which works in the short term, but they write worse because the water is not solvent. Markers need organic solvents that dissolve the dye in them to dissolve it and allow the dye to flow. Thus, the marker writes, but when it dries, it only means alcohol from the marker has evaporated, leaving the undissolved, dried dye in the marker.

I told my neices I have to go to the warehouse of my VseUk Institute, where we store the materials for STEM science club Little curious minds to find something. I knew we should have isopropyl alcohol and yes, I found it! So it was quickly decided - we will have the lesson of Little curious minds at home!

​Materials you need:
- 99% ethanol or isopropanol (can be purchase it at craft stores or Amazon uk)
- Dried markers
- Sheet of paper
- High 2 dcl glass
- Knife to help open the markers caps (ADULTS USE ONLY!) or pliers, if you have them handy
- Syringe (buy in a pharmacy, smallest you can find)
- A smaller glass or plastic cup
- Paper towels
- Protective goggles (optional)

Process:

1. First, let the children test all markers and put all the non-writing in one pile. Parents, teachers or other adult should remove the cap from the back of the marker. Sometimes you will need to use knife or pliers (as in the photo on the right).
2. Adults should pour a little alcohol into a small glass and give it to children. Roll out paper towels on the table for safety, because it may happen that the dye will flow a little through the marker felt tip or that they may pour alcohol. Oops ;) But do not be afraid, they have just disinfect the table. ;)
3. Children now use a small syringe to put a little alcohol into the pen. Hold the marker vertically, so the cap of the marker is below. Place the marker in the tall glass vertically (with the cap on) so that the alcohol can flow down through the marker and dissolve the dye. Let them stand for a few minutes.
4. When all the markers are filled with alcohol, test them. If any marker doesn't write, add some more alcohol to it.
5. When all the markers are writing, the adults attach the caps back.

​Markers are like new!

​And why is this useful? We can use this process at home or at kindergarten or school and make a science day. I really wish I would of known this before I have thrown dried markers in a trash bin :/ Children in this way test their accuracy, learn the useful chemistry (my nieces quickly informed grandmother and grandfather that "the water in the markers does not help because it doesn't dissolve the dye inside, you know! ":D) and recycle their stuff. Therefore, before you throw away the dried markers, you can make a mini-children's lab at home, which can become your afternoon project. My two girls have already informed me that "it will be necessary to put that thing in the markers also at home";) Enjoy!