Young artists need a canvas to express themselves. Unfortunately, all too often that canvas turns out to be your walls, furniture or floors!
It can be tough maintaining a tidy home when there are young kids about. You’ve already got a lot on your plate – the last thing you want is a well-meaning (but ultimately unattractive) impromptu home renovation project.
Cleaning off crayons isn’t as simple as just wiping and calling it a day. Crayons are wax-based – they’re hard to dissolve, meaning that most house cleaning tips will revolve around scraping them off.
The problem with this? It’s easy to inadvertently damage your paint, finish or fabric in the process.
Luckily, it’s possible to remove crayon markings. Best of all, you can do it with things that are already lying around your house!
Cleaning crayon off walls
When it comes to getting crayon off your walls, you’ve probably heard all the common house cleaning tips before.
Here’s the thing however: most of them don’t work!
Cleaning crayon off walls is tricky for three reasons:
- Plasterboard walls aren’t that strong
- They’re also highly porous
- You run the risk of damaging your paint
This limits your options. For example, stronger chemicals like methylated spirits could easily damage your wall, while harsh sponges can wear off paint.
Luckily, our good old friend baking soda is here for us!
When it comes to house cleaning, baking soda is surprisingly versatile. It’s abrasive enough to lift stains and messes, but gentle enough to avoid causing damage to most surfaces.
All you’ll need to do is take a damp microfiber cloth, gently scrub your walls and then dry it off afterwards.
Cleaning crayon off floors
Does your home use tile or timber flooring? If so, you’re in luck – cleaning crayon off these surfaces is a piece of cake!
In addition to going over it with floor cleaning products and a cloth, you can also give your crayons the heat treatment.
As we mentioned above, crayons are wax-based. By applying a hair dryer directly to your crayon stains, you melt the wax, which makes it much easier to wipe off.
Carpeted floors on the other hand can be a challenge though. Unlike upholstery, many carpets have dense fibres, making it difficult to completely remove crayon stains. You’ll want to avoid using the heat treatment, as this can push melted wax even deeper into your carpet.
Luckily for you, general carpet cleaner will get the job done in the majority of cases. These products are great for spot cleaning – combined with vigorous scrubbing and your crayon stains should be gone in no time.
Cleaning crayon off furniture
When it comes to cleaning furniture (and upholstery in general), the cardinal rule is to check your fabric, always.
This is an important question, as it directly influences which house cleaning tips will work for your furniture:
Regardless of material, the first thing you should do is scrape off as much crayon as possible using a butter knife, spoon or credit card.
One house cleaning tip that makes this easier is to apply an ice pack to the crayon first. This makes the wax in the crayon more brittle and easier to break. Just be sure to coat the ice pack in thick towels so you don’t accidentally wet the crayon (and make your life harder in the process!)
In most cases, this should take care of most of the mess for you – since crayon is wax-based, it doesn’t soak into fabric like a liquid-based stain would.
Once you hit a ceiling with scraping, the next thing you’ll want to do is get to work with the liquid laundry detergent.
Yep, that’s all it takes!
Pour a small amount and scrub it out with a sponge or cloth until the crayon lifts. Finish off by drying it with another cloth.
Are these house cleaning tips not doing it?
Get in touch with a Master Cleaner today!
Crayon stains are an unfortunate rite of passage. However, the cleaning doesn’t have to add to the punishment.
Getting rid of crayon markings doesn’t have to be a struggle – so long as you follow these house cleaning tips!
And for all the stains you can’t get rid of, you can always call Master Cleaners!
Our cleaning experts specialise in the messes you can’t clean yourself. We clean factories, commercial kitchens and construction sites all over Melbourne and Sydney on a daily basis, so you can rest easy knowing your home is in competent hands.
Give our team of skilled cleaners a call today on 1800 11 22 34, or click here to see how we can help you.
Need more suggestions? Check out our blog for more house cleaning tips!
