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What is There to Do About 'Crayon Art?'

YOU LOVE THEIR CREATIVITY, JUST NOT ALWAYS THEIR CANVAS

Article by Kim Brown

Photography by Kim Brown

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If there is a toddler running around your house, chances are you have "crayon art" where it should not be. My own daughters were famous for their "crayon art" in our home and I was forever cleaning it off. Here are some tips for you and your own "crayon art."

For walls, the first trick to use would be a Magic Eraser. On most surfaces, the crayon will come off. If the wall is a flat paint, try it in a small area first to be sure you won’t remove the paint off of the wall. For other finishes, use a gentle touch and gradually increase the pressure to clean off the marks. You can also heat the crayon marks with a blow dryer and use a wet, soapy washcloth to scrub the wall. 

For floors, including hardwoods, you can use Goo Gone which is good for cleaning up sticky substances and marks. You can also use mineral spirits, which works well. If you don’t have either of these, use dishwashing detergent like Dawn and water to remove the stains. 

For countertops, the Magic Eraser is useful. An all purpose cleaner and scrub cloth works well, as does dishwashing detergent and water. 

For ground-in crayon on carpets, start by removing as much of the crayon as possible by scraping off as much of the wax as possible. You can then use a carpet cleaner to blot up the rest of the stain.  You can also place a paper towel over the crayon stain and heat with a blow dryer to absorb the crayon mark. Any spots left over, you can blot up with hydrogen peroxide or carpet cleaner. 

Cleaning crayon marks on clothes is similar to carpet stains. Scrape off as much as you can, then wash clothes on a high setting. If there are a lot of clothes, wash the load with hot water using laundry detergent and adding one cup of baking soda. Do not dry in the dryer until you are sure the marks are completely out. If grease marks are left, soak clothes in Dawn or other liquid dish detergent and rinse in hot water. 

For crayon marks on furniture, start with scraping as much off as possible. Then use a mixture of dish soap and warm water, using a brush to scrub the stain away. 

As with any surface, test a small area first with your cleaning method to be sure it will not damage the surface. If you have some small Da Vinci’s in your home, you may become a professional at removing "crayon art."