7 Easy Ways to Get Crayon Off The Wall (Without Damaging It)
(And without having to disown your children.)
Let’s be honest. You probably don’t think much about your walls. For years, you’ve lived in harmony with them. They close you in, keep you dry, and separate you and your loved ones when you need a little space from each other. They hold up your art, shelves and televisions, never uttering a single complaint.
Then you have kids, and everything changes. Walls become an excellent (and obvious) canvas for their creative fancies. Of course, you’ve provided them with sketchbooks, construction paper, notebooks, poster board, newspapers and smocks. But how could they resist the lure of the walls? They’re so blank and inviting.
Kids, crayons, and walls. It might be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you have to be unprepared. Below are seven easy methods for restoring your walls back to their former crayon-free glory, usings common items you likely already have lying around the house. Sorry baby Picasso, but this round belongs to the parents.
Crayon cleaning tools
You won’t need ALL these options. Take inventory of your pantry, and then follow our instructions for the cleaning method of your choice.
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable
- Your favorite gentle dish soap, like Dawn + microfiber cloth
- Baking soda + soft sponge or microfiber cloth (something that will be gentle on your walls, especially if your walls have a flat or matte paint finish)
- Mayonnaise (full fat works best) + damp rag
- Pencil eraser
- Vinegar + old toothbrush + microfiber cloth
- Steel wool (ONLY if the offending crayon is on wallpaper!)
7 easy methods to get crayon off your walls
1) Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are awesome for removing crayon from walls (and, well, pretty much everything from anything!). Ideally, you catch the crayon when it’s fresh, which will make it easier to get rid of. Simply wet the eraser and give it a good squeeze to get rid of any excess water and to activate its cleaning agents. Rub it firmly along the crayon marks. Boom! Crayon no more. (Would you believe us if we told you it also works on permanent marker?!)
2) Dish soap + water
What can’t good old-fashioned soap and water do? Just wet a microfiber rag, wring it out, and suds it up with a couple drops of gentle dish soap, like Dawn. Be careful not to get the wall too wet and damage the paint. Take it slow and easy, rubbing firmly but gently. Rinse and wring out the rag occasionally, so you’re not just smearing the crayon around.
3) Baking soda
You’ve heard us say it a billion times, but make a paste with baking soda and water (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water). The paste should be thick, like cake batter. Then apply the paste directly to the crayon marks with a sponge or microfiber rag. Gently exfoliate the crayon off the wall with the paste. Then wipe the wall clean with a damp rag, and let it air dry.
4) Mayonnaise
This is a weird one, but mayonnaise actually removes crayon marks from painted walls. Just rub it onto the crayon marks with a microfiber towel or rag, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then wipe the wall clean with a damp rag, and let it air dry. Full-fat mayo works best in this case because the oil in the mayo breaks down the wax from the crayon, without damaging your paint job (although you might want to try it on a small section first before globbing it everywhere). Just make sure your pets are out of the room, or you’ll just be feeding them a greasy snack—which could lead to more cleanups later down the road.
5) Pencil eraser
Got a pencil in your junk drawer? Grab it, and go to town on the crayon using the pink eraser end. Dampening the eraser might also help with buffing out the crayon..
6) Vinegar
Grab an old toothbrush, dip it into a cup of distilled white vinegar, and use it to gently scrub the crayon off the wall. Then take a microfiber rag, and wipe the wall clean with some warm water. If you hate the smell of vinegar, you can use Dawn Dish Soap and water to wash the wall after the crayon is gone, but be sure to do a final water-only rinse to remove any lingering soap residue.
7) Steel wool
Only use steel wool if your kid has scrawled on some wallpaper — don’t try this on paint, because you’ll have a bigger problem on your hands. Gently rub the crayon with steel wool, wiping it in the same direction continuously, to scrape the crayon right off. Be sure to test a small section before proceeding, to make sure you know what you’re getting into.
Before long, your walls should be back to their original blank canvas state. Honestly, they might even be cleaner than they were to begin with. (Just between us, you know you should be cleaning your walls semi-regularly, right? It’s true.)
We get it: you’re busy, and the walls don’t immediately beckon to be cleaned. Sure, sometimes they get a little dusty or scuffed, but it’s not like they take a real beating, like your floors, couches or carpets. They’re not often visibility dirty, like your windows or stovetop. And you certainly wouldn’t consider having to sanitize them, like your countertops or other various high-touch areas.
But you really ought to clean the walls several times each year, or quarterly/seasonally—especially if you’re prone to dust allergies! Washing the walls sporadically is also a good idea if you like to leave windows open, unintentionally inviting allergens and dirt into your home. But don’t worry, washing your walls is super easy. Here, we’ll prove it.