How To Remove Crayon Marks From Walls & Furniture

Imagine this scene – your kids are coloring happily at the table. You leave the room for only a minute and return to find a colorful masterpiece on your wall or furniture. You might assume that crayon marks are permanent. After all, you can’t simply remove the waxy residue with soap and water.

While this is an easy assumption to make, you don’t need to stress about damaged furniture and walls. The reality is that you can remove crayon marks from walls and furniture with the right approach.

Can Crayon Marks Damage Walls Or Furniture Permanently?

Many people who don’t know how to get crayon marks off of their walls eventually repaint them. Often, it takes several coats of paint to conceal the marks. While many of your go-to cleaning methods won’t even lighten crayon marks, the mess isn’t permanent.

In fact, regardless of whether the marks are on your walls, doors or even furniture, there are effective cleaning solutions available.

Different Surfaces, Different Approaches

When choosing a method to remove crayon marks, select an approach that won’t damage the underlying surface. What works for laminate, for example, could damage wood. For the best results, consider these methods.

Methods For Painted Walls

Because crayon is a waxy material, cleaning with baking soda works well. In a bowl, add enough baking soda and tap water to make a thick paste. Use a damp rag to apply the paste to the artwork. Scrub the wall with the paste until the marks are removed. This can take up to 10 minutes, so be patient.

An alternative to baking soda is white, non-gel toothpaste. Gel toothpaste can leave stains and should never be used for cleaning. Dab the toothpaste on a small scrub brush. Dip the brush and toothpaste in warm water, and scrub at the stain. As is the case with the baking soda method, you’ll need to scrub the wall for several minutes.

Methods For Wood Furniture

Removing waxy crayon marks from wood furniture requires special care. You don’t want to scratch the wood or remove the lovely finish. One option is to dab toothpaste on a soft, damp cloth. Rub at the crayon marks until they disappear.

Another option is to pour wine vinegar onto the stain. Let the vinegar sit on the stain for up to 10 minutes. Then, blot at the vinegar and crayon marks. If the wood is heavily grained, you may need to scrub the wood. Avoid scrubbing too harshly or with an abrasive material that might scratch the wood.

Methods For Laminate Or Glass Surfaces

If your kids transformed your laminate furniture and flooring, glass windows or glass tabletops with crayons, start by scraping off as much of the crayon as possible. A credit card or laminated playing card works well.

Then, choose between WD-40, cooking oil or a grease-fighting liquid dish soap to clean with. Apply your preferred cleaner to the surface, and wipe the surface until the crayon is gone. After removing the marks, clean the surface with distilled white vinegar or glass cleaning spray.

Preventing Future Marks

While you can remove crayon marks from walls and furniture, plenty of elbow grease is usually required. Preventing future crayon marks is understandably a top priority.

Here are a few effective tips to prevent crayon marks:

• Switch to washable crayons.
• Make an art wall, which is the designated wall that your kids can color on. Cover this wall with paper, and replace the paper often so your kids always have a clean canvas to work on.
• Store art supplies in an area inaccessible to children.
• Give your kids a special art table that’s easy to clean rather than placing them at the kitchen table or coffee table to color.

Even with the best efforts, crayon marks can still wind up on your walls and furniture. It’s best to wipe away crayon marks as soon as possible.

Crayon marks are only some of the tough messes that you’ll face in the months and years to come. Whether you’re dealing with messes from kids, pets, food spills or something else, you can take the easier way to clean your home by using house cleaning services Boston from Cleanzen. Make an appointment for professional cleaning services by contacting us today.