Marker, Masking Tape or Name Labels? What Actually Lasts the School Year
Every parent has written a name on a tag with a texta 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 Mum who has only just realised 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 term one.
Dark uniforms hide it. Navy jumpers, 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 drink 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 jumpers in a tub.
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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 grey outline you have to scrub.
Kids pick at it. A curled corner on a drink bottle is not something a five year old is capable of leaving alone.
The ink runs. Condensation turns a biro name into a blue smear, and a texta name into a wide one.
It never stops. Re-taping the bottle every week or two adds up to far more time than labelling 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 |
| Steriliser | Rubs off | Peels off | Stays stuck |
| Works on dark fabric | Barely | Not neatly | Yes |
| Readable in lost property | 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 texta, plus your time, repeatedly | A roll, plus your time, repeatedly | One kit |
Clothing labels vary. Iron ons, Wrap & Stick and Stick & Go all 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
Labelling a school kit with a texta does not take long the first time. The catch is that it is never only the first time.
The jumper comes back blank. The tape on the bottle peels in the bag. So you do it again partway through the term, 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 value kit 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 property 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 drink 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 texta 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 Mum who has only just realised 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, Wrap & Stick and Stick & Go all 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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Closing items with care tags
Wrap & Stick Clothing Labels or Stick & Go Clothing Tags. They go on the care tag in a few seconds and stay through the wash.
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Dark coloured clothing & socks
Iron On Name Labels Value Kit. Slowest to apply, longest lasting on fabric.
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Drink bottles, lunch boxes, containers
Stick On Name Labels. Waterproof, dishwasher safe, and they do not leave residue when you take them off.
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Pencils, textas, glue sticks
Tiny Pencil Labels, sized for a barrel so the name is still readable.
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Bags
Bag Tags and Mini Bag Tags, so the name is visible without anyone unzipping anything.
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Speedy labelling
The Name Stamp. Same one-second application, without the fading.
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The part nobody counts, doing it again
Labelling a school kit with a texta does not take long the first time. The catch is that it is never only the first time.
The jumper comes back blank. The tape on the bottle peels in the bag. So you do it again partway through the term, 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 value kit takes a few minutes to set up online. Then it is off your list.
Label it once
One order, one evening, and the lost property pile stops being your problem.