Crayon and Texta All Over the House? Here’s How to Remove the Stains

It’s the cutest thing when your kids are engrossed in creating their next crayon masterpiece on paper; but sometimes, when you’re not watching them, they take their artistic skills and find the next best place(s) to add some colour to the room!

The walls, floor, windows, blinds, and bedsheets are some of the most common places kids end up drawing on which, at first sight, might send you into a panic!

The good news, however, is that removing crayon, Texta and at times ink from household surfaces is fairly simple and non-damaging when the right cleaning products and techniques are used.

So, before you start hastily scrubbing away without any prior knowledge of how to clean crayon stains in the home, take a look at these targeted methods to remove the waxy/greasy coloured drawings from your walls, floors, and other surfaces.

How to Remove Crayon from Painted Walls

There are quite a few ways to remove crayon from walls, however, some of these methods are not safe for wall paint. So, to ensure that you don’t end up damaging your paint finish, MaidForYou is sharing two very effective and safe cleaning methods to remove Texta and crayon from walls.

Method 1: Dish Soap & Water

Depending on whether you are dealing with fresh crayon stains on a painted wall, or prominent marks that have had a bit of time to sit on the surface, there are two ways to clean the stains up using mild soap and water. Take a look below:

Blowdryer + Dish Soap 

For older stains, set the hairdryer to medium heat, turn it on, and use it to heat up the crayon marks on the wall. Since these colouring tools are wax-based, the heat will melt the crayon or Texta, thus making it easier to remove. After applying heat to the surface, dampen a paper towel or soft cloth in a mild solution of water and dish soap, and wipe the wall lightly to clean off the crayon stains.

NOTE: As the colour is transferred onto the paper towel or cloth, you must use a fresh side/piece to avoid spreading the stain around.

Plain Dish Soap & Water

In a spray bottle, mix 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap and 2 cups of water. Shake the bottle vigorously to make a well-blended soapy solution. Next, lightly spray a white microfibre cloth or paper towel to dampen the cleaning tool; then gently wipe over the stain repeatedly until it is completely removed.

Method 2: Baking Soda

When you need a little abrasion to scrub off a stubborn greasy Texta stain from your painted wall, baking soda is the safest and most effective option. It is non-damaging to paint finishes, yet abrasive enough to remove wax buildup clinging onto the surface. 

For this simple method to remove crayon from walls with baking soda, all you need to do is dampen a clean, soft cloth or sponge, and dip it into a bowl of baking soda; proceed to clean the wall by gently scrubbing in a circular motion. Rinse the cleaning tool at intervals and repeat for a thorough clean.

How to Remove Crayon from Floors

Cleaning crayon stains from your floor is slightly trickier because there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ method for all types of flooring. In fact, crayon or Texta on your floor isn’t damaging but the cleaning method you use could be! 

If you have ceramic tiles or hardwood flooring, take a look at their respective cleaning methods below to safely clean up crayon stains. 

Wood Flooring

Plain water or a gentle cleanser is highly recommended when cleaning hardwood flooring; when dealing with crayon on a wooden floor, however, your best bet to remove the stain safely and effectively will require dishwashing liquid. Owing to the greasy nature of crayon residue, a mild cleaning solution consisting of dish soap and water can easily cut through the wax and remove all traces of colour. 

When cleaning hardwood flooring, it is advisable to avoid saturating the floor as this can cause the wood to warp. Instead, dampen a sponge with the cleaner, and scrub the Texta or crayon away. Use paper towels to soak up some moisture at intervals; this will also aid in lifting the crayon stain while it is damp. Rinse the sponge and repeat until the crayon stain is completely removed from your hardwood flooring.

Ceramic Tiles

There are quite a few safe methods for removing crayon from ceramic floor tiles but none as quick and effortless as this one. All you need is WD-40 and a few paper towels for the job and, perhaps, a minute or two to spare. Simply spray a small amount of WD-40 onto the paper towel, and wipe the tile. When the crayon has been removed, wipe over the surface with a damp towel to remove traces of the product. 

NOTE: In a similar manner, WD-40 can also be used to remove crayon from windows and other glass surfaces.

How to Remove Crayon from Fabric

Whether it’s their own clothing, your bed linen, upholstered furniture, or the curtains, children tend to enjoy colouring on fabrics too! Unfortunately, unlike hard, porous materials, you can’t just wipe off a crayon mark from fabric; it requires a little more effort which includes pretreatment and a final wash in the machine before you can successfully remove crayon stains from clothes or other fabrics.

If your kids have coloured over your favourite linen or piece of clothing, don’t panic; just follow the steps below to get rid of crayon from fabric:

1. Rub an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas over the crayon stain. The goal here is to chill and harden the wax without saturating the material (like an ice cube would do).
2. Take a blunt butter knife or a plastic spoon and gently scrape off as much of the coloured wax as possible.
3. Apply undiluted dishwashing liquid to the stain and work it into the fabric. As an alternative, you can also use a laundry stain remover that is suitable for the fabric in question.
4. Pre-soak the fabric in warm water for 45-60 minutes.
5. Wash the article in the washing machine using the hottest water suitable for the fabric. 
6. If there are traces of the stain left on the material, repeat steps 3-5.

Kids really do the darndest things and sometimes, that means having to clean up crayon marks from the least ideal places in your home! Nevertheless, MaidForYou's professional cleaners have got you covered with these tried and tested cleaning methods to remove crayon and Texta from different household surfaces and materials!