how to remove crayon from walls

9 Easy Ways to Get Crayon off the Wall

Did your young artist mistake your home's walls for canvas? These quick fixes will show you how to remove crayon from walls in no time.

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Child's crayon graffiti love mommy wall art drawing with crayons and cleaning material JJ van Ginkel/Getty Images

Wall art, be gone

It happens: Artistically inclined tots grab a crayon and, perhaps bored of paper and coloring books, start scribbling on the walls. They don't know better (or maybe they do!), and while it might be adorable, chances are you don't actually want a crayon doodle on your wall. So how to get crayon off the wall? Luckily, there are multiple cleaning tips that you can use to get your walls looking like new again—no fancy, expensive cleaning products required. And while you're boosting your arsenal of stain removal tips, find out the best stain removers for clothes and the best carpet stain removers.

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Baking soda

Have your walls been redecorated with some original crayon masterpieces? Don't lose your cool. Just grab a damp rag, dip it in some baking soda, and lightly scrub the marks. They should come off with a minimal amount of effort. Dealing with a larger, more hard-core stain? Jen Stark, founder of Happy DIY Home, adds, "You can also create a thick paste by adding three parts baking soda to one part water. It should be toothpaste consistency. Get a toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda paste and gently scrub the crayon in circular motions. Wipe the area with a damp rag periodically to ensure you're only taking the crayon off and to see where you need to continue scrubbing."

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Vinegar and dish soap

This cleaning combo can help tackle all sorts of messes, and it's also a good method for how to remove crayon from wall. "If you're not afraid of applying a little elbow grease, you can mix 1 cup of warm water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of Dawn dish soap in a bucket," Stark says. "Get a soft rag and carefully start to scrub at the crayon marks." She says to go slow and keep an eye on the wall to make sure you're not damaging the paint. "The dish soap can help loosen the crayon from the wall, and the vinegar's acetic acid will break down the pigment and wax bonds in the crayon to lift it away from the wall," Stark explains. These properties make dish soap and vinegar one of the best homemade window cleaners as well.

Diverter Lube what does wd 40 do Family Handyman

WD-40

Did the kids use your wall as if it was a big coloring book? Spray some WD-40 onto the marks and wipe with a clean rag. WD-40 will not damage the paint or most wallpaper (test fabric or other fancy wall coverings first). It will also remove marker and crayon marks from furniture and appliances.

Toothpaste

Roll up your sleeves and grab a tube of non-gel toothpaste and a rag or—better yet—a scrub brush. Squirt the toothpaste on the wall and start scrubbing. The fine abrasive in the toothpaste will rub away the crayon every time. Rinse the wall with water.

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Mayonnaise

Here's a simple way to remove crayon from a painted wall that requires hardly any elbow grease: Simply rub some mayonnaise on the crayon marks and let it soak in for several minutes. Then wipe the surface clean with a damp cloth. Here are more natural cleaning solutions you didn't know actually work.

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Erasers

Try "erasing" the crayon marks to get the wall back to a clean slate. Use a very light hand when you rub at the crayon with the eraser, as it could damage the paint. This goes doubly for getting crayon off wallpaper with a pencil eraser. If you're worried about it, swap out a normal eraser for an artist's gum eraser. Something else you may want to know? How to remove permanent marker stains.

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Steel wool

Your toddler just created a work of crayon art on paper. Unfortunately, it's on your wallpaper. Use a bit of steel wool soap pad to just skim the surface, making strokes in one direction instead of scrubbing in a circle, and your wall will be a fresh "canvas" in no time.

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Magic Eraser

If these other ways to remove crayon from wall aren't doing the trick, Stark suggests giving the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser a try. "Mix up a bucket of warm water with a few drops of dish soap," she says. "Dip the Magic Eraser into your bucket of warm water and soap. Wring the eraser out so it's damp and not saturated. Lightly rub at the crayon, working side to side or up and down." She says to flip the eraser over as you see the crayon coming off, and keep wetting it as needed. "You might need to get more than one to do the job, depending on how much crayon is on the wall," she says. "Don't rub too hard because you can remove or dull your paint."

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Vinegar

Want to know how to get crayon off of clothing, too? Kids often manage to get crayon marks on their clothing as well as the walls. You can easily get these stains off by rubbing them with a recycled toothbrush soaked in undiluted vinegar before washing them. Learn how to remove almost every other type of stain, too.

Originally Published: June 29, 2021