Marker, Masking Tape or Name Labels? What Actually Lasts the School Year
Every parent has written a name on a tag with a Sharpie at 9pm the night before. It works. The question is how long for.
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Why do people use a marker to label their kids things?
First of all, it's super easy and cheap. 99% of people have a marker sitting in their drawer. And if you're a last minute Mom who has only just realized they need to label all their kids things, then it seems like a perfect solution.
But, markers don't work on everything, especially dark clothing. It also looks messy and can be impossible to write on tiny things like pencils. And worst of all it'll just fade away, leaving you to write on things over and over.
Permanent marker, what actually happensIt bleeds. Cotton care tags drink the ink. Write over a name that has already faded and you get a fuzzy shape, not a name.
It fades. Hot washes and the dryer lift it quickly. Most parents are re-writing by the middle of the first semester.
Dark clothes hide it. Navy sweaters, black leggings, anything with a printed or satin tag, and the ink has nowhere to show up.
It does not stay on hard surfaces. One dishwasher cycle takes a name straight off a water bottle lid.
Hand-me-downs get messy. A crossed out name with a new one squeezed beside it is not something a teacher can read quickly with forty sweaters in a bin.
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Masking tape, what actually happensWater finds the edge. A wet lunch box or a sweating bottle lifts one corner, and once a corner goes the rest peels in a day.
Dishwashers finish it off. The tape either disappears completely or bakes on and leaves a gluey gray outline you have to scrub.
Kids pick at it. A curled corner on a water bottle is not something a five year old is capable of leaving alone.
The ink runs. Condensation turns a pen name into a blue smear, and a marker name into a wide one.
It never stops. Re-taping the bottle every week or two adds up to far more time than labeling properly once.
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A closer look side by side
| Permanent marker | Masking tape | Bright Star Kids Labels | |
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| How long it lasts | A few weeks | Days | A year or more, depending on which label |
| Washing machine | Fades | Comes off | Stays stuck |
| Clothes dryer | Fades faster | Comes off | Stays stuck |
| Dishwasher | Rubs off | Peels or bakes on | Stays stuck |
| Sterilizer | Rubs off | Peels off | Stays stuck |
| Works on dark fabric | Barely | Not neatly | Yes |
| Readable in lost and found | Only if your handwriting held up | Only if it is still attached | Yes, printed clearly |
| Passing it down | Cross it out and squeeze the new name in | Peel and re-tape | Peel the old one off, stick the new one on |
| Kids can spot their own | Only once they can read | Only once they can read | Yes, pick a design they know |
| Cost across a year | A marker, plus your time, repeatedly | A roll, plus your time, repeatedly | One combo pack |
Clothing labels vary. Iron ons and Wrap & Stick hold differently depending on how the item gets washed. See which clothing label suits what.
Guide To Using Labels
Which labels to use instead for each item
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The part nobody counts, doing it again
Labeling a school kit with a marker does not take long the first time. The catch is that it is never only the first time.
The sweater comes back blank. The tape on the bottle peels in the backpack. So you do it again partway through the semester, and again after that. Nobody sits there counting how many rounds they have done, which is probably why it never feels like much until you total it up at the end of the year.
A combo pack takes a few minutes to set up online. Then it is off your list.
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Label it onceOne order, one evening, and the lost and found pile stops being your problem. |
Common questions
Does permanent marker wash out of clothes?
Will masking tape survive the dishwasher?
Do name labels come off in the wash?
Do I have to iron them on?
What about hand-me-downs?
Can I label a water bottle that goes in the dishwasher?
What is the best way to label daycare items?
Marker, Masking Tape or Name Labels? What Actually Lasts the School Year
Every parent has written a name on a tag with a Sharpie at 9pm the night before. It works. The question is how long for.
Why do people use a marker to label their kids things?
First of all, it's super easy and cheap. 99% of people have a marker sitting in their drawer. And if you're a last minute Mom who has only just realized they need to label all their kids things, then it seems like a perfect solution.
But, markers don't work on everything, especially dark clothing. It also looks messy and can be impossible to write on tiny things like pencils. And worst of all it'll just fade away, leaving you to write on things over and over.
Permanent marker, what actually happens
Masking tape, what actually happens
A closer look side by side
Clothing labels vary. Iron ons and Wrap & Stick hold differently depending on how the item gets washed. See which clothing label suits what.
Guide To Using Labels
Which labels to use instead for each item
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Clothing items with care tags
Wrap & Stick Clothing Name Labels. They go on the care tag in a few seconds and stay through the wash.
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Dark colored clothing & socks
Iron On Name Labels Combo Pack, printed so the name still shows on navy and black. For socks, the Sock Name Stamp.
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Water bottles, lunch boxes, containers
Small Stick On Name Labels. Waterproof, dishwasher safe, and they do not leave residue when you take them off.
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Pencils, markers, glue sticks
Tiny Pencil Stick On Name Labels, sized for a barrel so the name is still readable.
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Bags and shoes
Bag Tags, so the name is visible without anyone unzipping anything, and Round Shoe Stick On Name Labels for sneakers.
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Speedy labeling
The Name Stamp. Same one-second application, without the fading.
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The part nobody counts, doing it again
Labeling a school kit with a marker does not take long the first time. The catch is that it is never only the first time.
The sweater comes back blank. The tape on the bottle peels in the backpack. So you do it again partway through the semester, and again after that. Nobody sits there counting how many rounds they have done, which is probably why it never feels like much until you total it up at the end of the year.
A combo pack takes a few minutes to set up online. Then it is off your list.
Label it once
One order, one evening, and the lost and found pile stops being your problem.