Our daughter, Kaitlyn, recently called me in a panic.  “Help!  Avigail colored with her crayons on the wall in the play area.  How in the world do I clean it up?

For Kaitlyn, this is a first occurrence and the mess seemed to be isolated to a small unnoticeable part of the wall. Most mothers have encountered this messy problem, not always successfully.  In raising my own children, this was something that happened repeatedly.  My daughter, Leah’s art never learned boundaries.  She colored on walls, she colored on tables, she colored on desks and even decided to transform her favorite grey dress into a rainbow-colored garment using markers.

There are several options for cleaning crayon off a surface.  It is always best to start with the gentlest technique, one that will cause the least amount of collateral damage. I listed them to Kaitlyn, cautioning her to start with a small hidden area first to determine if the technique worked.  If that technique did not work, I explained to her to try the next technique until she found one that cleaned the crayon drawings.

Lucky for her, the baking soda paste method worked, the wall was clean and Kaitlyn was finally able to relax…until Avigail exclaimed, “Mommy! Did you see?  I also colored the whole wall in the kitchen!”

This time is was Avigail’s turn to clean.  Simple.  Wow!   Enjoy the video…

 

 

 

TECHNIQUES TO REMOVE CRAYON  (from gentlest to harshest)

Baby Wipes

Baking Soda or
Powdered Dishwasher Detergent without bleach
Prepare a paste with baking soda and a little water.  Rub the paste onto a damp sponge and gently rub on the crayon marks.  Wipe surface with soapy hot water to remove pasty residue.

Shaving Cream or
Toothpaste (not gel)
Rub onto a damp sponge or rag and gently rub on the crayon marks.  Wipe surface with soapy hot water.

Vinegar or
Rubbing Alcohol or
Ammonia or Windex
Soak a small rag or toothbrush and rub onto crayon marks.   Wipe surface with warm water.

Mayonnaise or
Baby Oil or
WD-40 or
Goo Gone or
Cooking Spray
Place a small amount on a soft sponge.  Scrub in a circular motion and then wipe surface with soapy hot water to remove greasy residue.

Magic Eraser
Rub gently so that you don’t rub off any paint

 

 

Good luck!