BIC : Wite Out Quick Dry Correction Fluid

I do a lot of handwritten journal entries for bookkeeping for a small business. We also have quite a few contact lists as well as our personal address books, all handwritten. These lists have to be kept current, legible and quickly accessed without turning on our computer. Yes, we do have Excel. But no, we don't want everything on our computer. Hard drives crash. Life goes on.

The older styles of Wite*Out had a brush applicator on the end of the wand, much like nail polish. After a month or so, the brush would be encrusted with clumps of non-usable Wite*Out and had to be scraped clean enough to hold liquid again so one could finish one's work. You could try to rinse the wand, sure. But when you replaced the wand in the bottle, the water would dilute the rest of the Wite*Out, making the drying time even longer. Better yet, the added water might just turn this into a bottle of Wite*Wash, the see-through version that wastes time by needing 2 or 3 coats. I was happy to see a new delivery method--BIC Wite*Out PLUS with a sponge-tipped applicator.

BIC Wite*Out PLUS comes in a 20ml (or .7fl. oz.) bottle. It is a hard plastic white bottle about the size of nail polish. The cap has vertical ridges that are very helpful in securely grabbing, holding and twisting the cap. The label is a grey background with an orange circle outlined in white in the middle, BIC Wite*Out prominently displayed in the middle in oversized type, black lettering. The word PLUS is underneath in a reversed color scheme, black banner, white lettering. Pretty straightforward. The big news here is method of delivery. This is my favorite part, so I'm typing it again: On the end of the wand is a tiny triangle-shaped sponge. No more brush. Definitely more control.

Using Wite*Out is fairly simple as long as you use a little care. Shake the bottle, remove the cap, pull out the wand. Gently 'push' the sponge tip against the inside of the bottle opening, getting the extra liquid to flow back into the bottle. When the sponge appears almost dry, you're done pushing. Here's where the sponge tip becomes more helpful. Take a look--it's got several surfaces to use for different sizes and shapes of applying, much like a hi-lighter. Pick your sponge surface, carefully dab the sponge on your paperwork to transfer Wite*Out where you need it. A good rule of thumb is to use as little as possible to reduce your wait while it dries, you can always dab it again. This Wite*Out will cover typed, inkjet, handwritten and photocopied print. Just for fun (no, I don't get out much--thanks for asking) I tried it on dark blue Sharpee as well. Took two thick coats, but it did work.

This is just like using the brush-ended wand in that you can make grooves and pits on your paperwork if you use too much Wite-Out. However, it is definitely a lot easier to control how much you use with the sponge tip. I've found it easier to dab a second application and fill in a rough spot with the sponge. I could never get that to work with the brush version--it just made it worse to reapply. Anyway, when you've applied enough Wite*Out to cover the ink or print you want to correct, replace the wand in the bottle and screw the lid on securely. Set your paperwork aside somewhere safe to dry.

This version of Wite*Out has a drying time of at least 10 seconds, could be up to a minute depending on how much liquid you use. Take a look, when it's still wet, it has a shiny appearance. When it's dry, the finish is less shiny, more like a matte finish. If you're not sure, it's best to wait a little longer before touching since Wite*Out will easily transfer to your hand or whatever it touches when it's wet.

I've had this bottle of Wite*Out for about 4 months. It's starting to get a little thicker, but it's still usable. I've also noticed tiny clumps lately which I can easily remove from my paperwork by fingertip before it dries. It's still way better than dealing with the brush-ended wand. I got this bottle at our local Staples for around $1.89 if I remember correctly.