Marks on the wall are one of those inescapable annoyances that successful parents have to deal with when they’re raising a budding artistic genius. It’s good for kids to stretch their imaginations, and pencils and crayons offer some of the best ways to express themselves.
Unfortunately, that expression will inevitably be splashed in colorful waist-high scribbles on your walls, coating them from end to end like the world’s worst wainscoting. You love to see the creativity, but it hardly makes for a presentable home.
If you need help cleaning the canvas, we’ve got you covered with these super simple ways to remove pencil and crayon marks from walls.
How to Remove Pencil and Crayon Marks From Walls
Of all the things your kids can use to mark up walls, pencils are hands down the most forgiving. In most cases, you can fix the issue with a standard pencil eraser.
Remove Pencil Marks with a Pencil Eraser
Use a fresh eraser when removing pencil marks because a used one may smear more graphite as you wipe it across a painted wall. Gently rub the pencil mark to prevent the paint from peeling.
You can also try a kneaded eraser or an artist’s gum eraser for gentler graphite-lifting power. Kneaded and art gum erasers are available at most artist’s supply stores.
If a pencil eraser isn’t doing the trick, a mild detergent or dish soap on a clean rag will gently wipe away pencil marks with ease. The same method also works well against colored pencil marks.
The Top 3 Ways to Remove Crayon Marks From Your Wall
Pencil marks are straightforward to wipe off painted walls, but removing crayon marks can be a massive pain if you don’t know what you’re doing. Common sense approaches often fail. Soap and water do little to remove set-in crayon, and one of our favorite DIY household cleaners, vinegar, is useless against these stubborn marks.
Instead of opting for the obvious, you have to take a few offbeat measures to remove crayon marks on the wall. Fortunately, you probably won’t have to run to the store to find the solution. The best ways to remove crayon marks involve items you can commonly find around the house, albeit in some unexpected places.
1. White Toothpaste
Your typical tube of toothpaste is an incredibly versatile tool against all types of marks around the house, and it’s dynamite on tough crayon stains. Just make sure you use white toothpaste and not a gel variety.
Toothpaste is the easiest and most effective way to remove crayon marks from walls. It won’t smear or discolor the paint, it only takes a few seconds of work, and there is minimal cleanup.
Apply a small amount to a clean cloth to wipe down the crayon until it’s completely gone. Follow up with a damp cloth to gently clean any remaining toothpaste, and your wall will look like new!
Pro Tip: Even when the kids are coloring on paper, bleeding markers can easily mar a dining room table. Toothpaste is fantastic at removing marker stains. Use a small amount on a soft cloth and watch as the mark disappears from the surface. It works great on pen marks too!
2. Melamine Sponges
Melamine sponges may not sound familiar, but we’re willing to bet you know all about them under a different moniker, the aptly named Magic Eraser. These disposable sponges truly are extraordinary, able to remove nearly any mark with just a few wipes, from stains on teeth to crayon and pen marks on walls.
Follow these steps to use a melamine sponge on crayon:
- Wet the sponge
- Rub the sponge in circular motions to scrub out the crayon
- Use a paper towel to catch drips running down the wall
- Keep using the sponge until it cleans up all the crayon
- Dry the wall with a paper towel
There will be times when you can’t get to your children quick enough and they cover vast stretches of wall in their artwork. For big projects like these, melamine sponges are the best way to get rid of the most stubborn stains from crayon marks, pencils, and pens. We still recommend toothpaste for smaller projects because melamine sponges can drip and smear crayon marks, and there’s no sense wasting a whole sponge on a few inches of crayon marks.
3. Hairdryer, Soap, and Water
Crayons are made from a combination of pigments and paraffin wax. That means that although they can be hard to remove when they’re solid, crayon marks can melt under high heat. If you don’t have any toothpaste on hand to tackle minor crayon marks, you can look for another common bathroom utensil — the hairdryer.
This method is only convenient for small marks because it takes a few seconds to heat up. Heat the crayon mark for 30-60 seconds. Then, use a clean cloth and mild soap, such as dish soap, to wipe it away.
“Try With Caution” Techniques for Crayon and Pencil Marks
If you don’t have any toothpaste, sponges, or a hairdryer, there are a few additional tricks that will remove pencil marks and crayon stains from the walls. These cleaning hacks aren’t quite as effective as our top three methods for various reasons, but they do work in a pinch.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise makes a surprisingly effective crayon remover, but you have to let it sit for a few minutes. You may also end up with another unsightly stain due to the oil present in mayonnaise, which would require a whole new round of cleaning. If you want to try mayo, spot test it in an inconspicuous area before trying to remove marks with it.
Baking Soda
Along with vinegar, one of our favorite DIY techniques around the home is cleaning with baking soda. But when it comes to removing crayon marks on the wall, it is not the most efficient method. You’ll need to mix baking soda with water to form a paste and scrub with an old toothbrush, but it can take a while to get the wall clean. Plus, small clumps of baking soda will end up on the floor, giving you an extra cleanup job.
WD-40
Finally, a few drops of WD-40 will lift crayon marks immediately, but it also tends to smear crayon marks around if you rub it in. You’ll have to carefully blot the stain up, which can be tedious when you have a large area to clean. And similar to mayonnaise, you could end up with grease stains replacing the crayon.
Call Anita’s to Help Clean Up After the Kids
When you need to get pencil marks and crayon art off the wall, look to the bathroom for the best solution. With these simple hacks, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get your paint looking new and ready for another round of artistic mayhem.
Keeping up with a family is a hard job, and there’s rarely a moment to rest. When you need help with daily clutter, messes, and wall art, let Anita’s find the perfect local cleaning service to fit your life. Request a booking today, and see how easy it is to earn a sparkling home and some much-needed relief.
