The Best Ways to Remove Crayon from Painted Walls & Wallpaper

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Get crayon marks off your interior walls with this guide

Co-authored by Laura Smith and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: September 12, 2024 Fact Checked

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Removing Crayon from Painted Walls

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Removing Crayon from Wallpaper

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FAQs

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Video

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Tips

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Warnings

If you have young kids, odds are you’re going to end up with crayon on your walls at one point or another. Luckily, crayon stains aren’t permanent and can be removed with a bit of patience and elbow grease. In this article, we’ll teach you all the best ways to get crayon off of walls and wallpaper. Plus, we’ll answer other common questions about removing crayon from different surfaces.

Removing Crayon from Walls

Scrub the stain with dish soap and water, a magic eraser, or an all-purpose cleaner. Use firm but gentle motions so you don’t damage the wall's surface. For natural cleaning methods, use baking soda paste or distilled white vinegar. Small stains can also be removed by rubbing with a pink eraser.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Remove Crayon from Painted Walls

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1
Wash the stains with dish soap and water. Before turning to more complicated solutions, try removing the crayon with plain soap and water. Wet a microfiber cloth, wring it out, then add a couple drops of dish soap. Rub the affected area firmly yet gently, and wring out the cloth now and then so you don’t smear the crayon around.^{[1]
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- Make sure to wring out the cloth when you first dampen it. If you get the wall too wet, it could damage the paint.
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Scrub the wall with a magic eraser. Magic erasers are one of the most recommended products for getting crayon off of walls. Follow the instructions provided with the eraser to wet it, squeeze out excess water, and rub it firmly but gently on the crayon marks. This should work on any crayon marks, though it works best if they’re fresh.^{[2]
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- Cleaning expert Laura Smith recommends using magic erasers to get crayon off of walls. However, she says, “You do have to be very careful because they can damage some paints. So, you always want to test a little spot and an inconspicuous place. Don't really scrub it; just wipe gently with a very saturated Magic Eraser, because the drier it is, the more abrasive it is.”
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Choose an all-purpose cleaner of your preference and spray it directly onto the stained area. Then, wipe the crayon away with paper towels. If the stain persists, dampen a sponge with warm water and dish soap and scrub the area in a circular motion. Rinse with clean water and dry with paper towels.^{[3]
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Make a baking soda paste by mixing 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. When the paste forms a thick, cake batter texture, dip a sponge or microfiber cloth into it and apply it directly to the wall. Gently rub the area until the crayon comes off, then wipe the wall clean with a damp rag and let it air dry.^{[4]
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Dip an old toothbrush into distilled white vinegar and gently scrub the crayon marks until they come off. Then, wipe the wall clean with a damp microfiber cloth. To mask the smell of the vinegar, wash the wall with dish soap and water before rinsing with just water.^{[5]
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Try applying mayonnaise. This may sound strange, but the oils in mayo can sometimes break down the wax in crayon. Apply the mayonnaise to the crayon marks with a microfiber cloth and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then, wipe the wall with a clean, damp rag and let it air dry.^{[6]
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- Full-fat mayo typically works best because it has the most oils.
- To avoid smearing mayo all over your walls if this method doesn’t work for you, test it in a small area first.
- If you have pets, keep them out of the room so they don’t try to lick the mayo off.
If there’s only a bit of crayon on the wall, use a standard pink eraser to rub the marks away. For stubborn marks, try dampening the eraser to more effectively buff out the crayon.^{[7]
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Apply a thin layer of white, non-gel toothpaste directly to the crayon marks. For extra cleaning power, mix a bit of water with baking soda to create a paste and apply it on top of the toothpaste with an old toothbrush. Scrub the wall until the crayon comes off, then wipe away the mess with a damp paper towel or cloth.^{[8]
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Rub the area with WD-40. Commercial degreasers like WD-40 are great at removing all kinds of stains. Spray some onto a rag, then wipe the area until the crayon comes off, repeating as necessary. It’s also possible to spray the WD-40 directly onto the wall, but do so in an inconspicuous area first to make sure it doesn’t damage the surface.^{[9]
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- WD-40 often has strong fumes, so work in a well-ventilated area.

Section 2 of 3:

How to Remove Crayon from Wallpaper

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1
Rub the crayon with steel wool. Only use steel wool on wallpaper, not painted walls. Gently rub the crayon marks with the steel wool, continuously wiping in the same direction. This should scrape the crayon right off. To make sure this method won’t damage your wallpaper, however, test a small section first.^{[10]
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- A plastic scraper will also work the same way.
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Use soap and water on scrubbable wallpaper. Scrubbable wallpaper can typically be cleaned the same way as painted walls. Mix some warm water and dish soap and gently scrub the affected area with a microfiber cloth. Blot the wallpaper with a clean, dry cloth to help it dry.^{[11]
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- All-purpose cleaners and magic erasers can also work on scrubbable wallpaper. Just test the product in an inconspicuous area first to make sure it doesn’t damage the wallpaper.
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Use an iron on non-woven wallpaper. Scrape off as much crayon as possible with a plastic scraper or the edge of a credit card. Then, place a clean, white paper towel over the marks and set your iron to low heat. Gently press the iron onto the paper towel, moving it in a circular motion. The heat should melt the crayon wax, allowing it to transfer onto the paper towel. Replace the paper towel as needed until the marks are no longer transferring.^{[12]
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- Non-woven wallpaper has a paper backing which makes it easy to install and remove.
- Do not use a hairdryer in place of the iron. Direct heat can cause wallpaper to peel or warp.
Some wallpapers, like those made of cellulose, can’t get wet or they’ll become damaged and discolored. If you’re not sure if your wallpaper is scrubbable or you’re worried about water damage, try using dry cleaning putty or a dry cleaning sponge according to their manufacturer’s instructions. This can sometimes pull stains right off the wallpaper.^{[13]
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Section 3 of 3:

Removing Crayon FAQs

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Crayon stains are not permanent—they’re marketed toward children, after all! While crayon marks can be a bit stubborn, they can be removed from most surfaces with household supplies, like baking soda or toothpaste, or with commercial cleaning products like magic erasers or all-purpose cleaners.^{[14]
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The methods included in this article can remove crayon marks no matter how big or small, but if your wall is covered in crayon, it may be more trouble than it’s worth, as you’ll likely go through a lot of cleaning supplies. In some cases, it may be better to just repaint the wall or consider hiring a professional cleaner.
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How do I remove crayon from the floor? Dish soap and water should remove crayon stains from most hard floor surfaces, including vinyl flooring, wood, and tile. In general, most of the methods used to get crayon off of walls can also be used on the floor. If you’re not sure about a certain method, test it in an inconspicuous area first.^{[15]
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- Rubbing alcohol can also be used on many floor surfaces—again, just test it first.
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How do I get crayon out of carpet? Use a knife or spoon to scrape off as much of the wax as possible. Then, spray or dampen the area with warm water and apply a bit of dish soap to the carpet, or use a commercial dry cleaning solvent.^{[16]
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Research source} Use a cleaning brush (or an old toothbrush) to scrub the stains until they come up, then wipe the area with a damp sponge. Repeat until all the crayon is gone.
- This method can also get crayon out of clothes, upholstery, and other fabrics.

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Tips

Since crayon can be tough to remove, don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come off immediately. Many of these methods will need to be repeated a few times before all the stains are gone.

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