How To Get Crayon Off Walls And A Bunch Of Other Stuff

When it comes to kids, you’ll quickly learn that they leave a mark. Figuratively on your heart, yes — but also literally everywhere else! Your budding artist loves to draw, and they think the world is their canvas. That includes virtually every surface at home… which brings us here, with you wondering how to get crayon off walls or how to get crayon out of clothes, the carpet, wood. You know, pretty much all the things.

What’s your best approach here? Do you just take to every single Crayola masterpiece with a soapy sponge? Do you say to heck with it and plan on buying new, crayon-free stuff when your kids graduate and fly the coop? Don’t worry, Mama; we’ve got you covered. Consider this your comprehensive guide on how to get crayon off walls and other surfaces in your home.

RELATED: Use These Heart Coloring Pages to Keep Your Walls Crayon-Free

How to Get Crayon Off Walls

So, your little Leonardo da Vinci tried to recreate the Mona Lisa in your dining room, eh? On the one hand, you’re probably a little irked. We get it. On the other, you might even take a moment to appreciate their artistic talents once you’ve had a chance to chill out. After that, though, your focus is on the task at hand: getting that crayon off the walls. As luck would have it, there are several ways you can approach this problem.

• Baking soda: Grab a damp rag, dip it in baking soda, and lightly scrub.
• Mayonnaise: We kid you not! Using paper towels, apply full-fat mayo directly to the crayon marks. Let sit for around 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe the area with a damp microfiber cloth.
• WD-40: For this method, you may want to do a test patch first to make sure it won’t damage your wall. It shouldn’t, but better safe than sorry. Otherwise, spray and wipe with a clean rag.
• Pencil erasers: Sometimes you can simply “erase” the marks right off the wall.
• MagicEraser: If a pencil eraser doesn’t work, you can always turn to the brain-boggling magic of the Mr. Clean MagicEraser. We don’t know why they work so well, but they do.
• Toothpaste: That same fine abrasiveness that gets your teeth clean could work on your walls.
• Steel wool: Proceed with caution if you turn to this method, as steel wool is obviously very abrasive. Merely skim the surface (don’t scrub!), and you could see results.
• Hairdryer: Who knew your hairdryer could help in a situation like this? Mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid and hot water in a bowl. Set that aside as you turn your hairdryer on and aim it at the crayon marks. You want to warm the wax up so it starts to melt. Once it does, dampen a microfiber cloth in your hot water solution and use it to wipe away the crayon.
• Vinegar: Ah, vinegar — it has so many uses! To use it as a weapon against crayon marks on walls, grab an old toothbrush. Dip it into some distilled white vinegar and gently scrub.

How to Get Crayon Off Wood

Another favorite canvas for crayon-wielding kiddos? Wood! And whether it’s paneling or wood that has been painted, stained, or varnished, you’re going to want to make it disappear. So, why not take the advice of the crayon masters themselves?

Per Crayola, “Spray the stained area with all-purpose cleaner and wipe with paper towels. If stain persists, dampen a sponge with warm water and liquid dish soap to work the area in a circular motion. Rinse with water. Dry the area with paper towels. Repeat as needed.”

If the crayon still doesn’t come off, you can try some of the same hacks you used to get crayon off walls: baking soda, vinegar, or MagicEraser.

How to Get Crayon Out of Clothes

It never fails — you buy your kiddo new clothes, and they somehow manage to get crayon wax all over them. What’s a mama to do? Crayola advises scraping as much crayon off of the clothing as possible. Then, they suggest, “Apply liquid dish soap and work into the stained area. Let stand a few minutes, rub fabric under warm water to remove the stain. Machine wash using the heavy soil setting and the hottest fabric will allow with OxiClean or Clorox 2. Allow to air dry. Repeat as needed.”

How to Get Crayon Out of Carpet

When it comes to cleaning crayon out of carpet, it’s always advisable to first try whatever solution you choose on a small patch of carpet that is hidden or easy to obscure. Here are a few things to try:

• Rubbing alcohol: Scrape any excess with a knife. Follow by dabbing the carpet with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. After blotting, press down on the stained area — just be mindful not to let the rubbing alcohol soak through to the bottom of your carpet.
• WD-40: Seriously, if you don’t have WD-40 in your house, now’s the time to stock up! For using it to clean crayon out of carpet, scrape away excess first. Then spray the WD-40, letting it sit for a few minutes. Using a stiff-bristle brush, remove any remaining crayon. Wipe with paper towels. Add a small amount of liquid dish detergent to the area, work in, let sit for a max of two minutes, and then wipe away with a damp sponge.

How to Get Marker Off Walls

If you’ve had crayons on your wall before, odds are you’ve dealt with marker stains too. If your child got into the Sharpies, there’s still hope. First, identify what kind of marker did the crime. Was it a Sharpie or a Crayola marker? Then figure out the kind of surface it’s on. We know it’s on your wall, but is the exterior covered in wallpaper, paint, or wood? You’re going to want to avoid using water because it’ll only spread the stain around. Grab some isopropyl alcohol (or hairspray) and mix it with a little salt. Toothpaste or baking soda and vinegar are also helpful remedies. And you can never go wrong with the MagicEraser.

Milk to remove ink stains

Curious if milk can remove ink stains? It can! If your child has managed to get ink on their clothes, don’t panic. Ink may seem permanent, but soaking the stained shirt in a bowl of milk and vinegar might make it good as new. If you leave it there overnight, it should break down the ink in the fabric — and you can avoid throwing out a shirt.

Does mayo remove crayon from walls?

Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches. If you ever get crayons on your walls and don’t want to mess up the paint underneath, mayonnaise is your best bet. Damp a cloth with water and a dollop of mayo and scrub it into the marks. This is a great way to get crayons or markers off your wall without chipping your paint.

Does Goo Gone remove crayon from walls?

Goo Gone is a surface-safe adhesive remover. It’s a pretty strong chemical, so be careful not to overuse it. Don’t put the Goo Gone directly on the wall, but pour a little into a paper towel and scrub the crayon mark out. Avoid rubbing too hard, or the paint may peel off too. After getting the stain out, grab some soap and water to get the remaining Goo Gone residue off the wall.