We’ve had a few crayon incidents over the years. Removing crayon from walls is something I’ve perfected. Originally, my kids decided to decorate Grandma and Grandpa’s newly painted white walls with crayon unexpectedly (it was the first time they’d drawn on walls).

And one time when we stayed in a condo at the beach they added their own crayon art to a wall behind the front door – surprise! I’m not even sure how they had crayons with them on that vacation. So, I’ve tried quite a few crayon cleaning ideas.

If you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know that using gentle soap and water has very little effect on crayon.

I’m sure there are some harsh cleaners out there that will dissolve crayon in seconds but I find that type of cleaner usually feels like it’s dissolving the lining of my lungs at the same time.

The fumes are horrendous. I hate to think what my kids were exposed to when I tolerated store-bought cleaning products.

There are 3 methods for removing crayon that are tried and tested. These are the ones I use.

1. Baking Soda

Yes, I know, you can use Baking Soda for everything. It’s such an all-rounder cleaning substance. And it’s great for removing crayon.

The technique I used was a damp rag wrapped around my fingers, dipped into a bowl of Baking Soda and I then rubbed the crayon off the wall.

The pros of using Baking Soda for removing crayon

• the crayon comes off the wall
• almost everyone has Baking Soda in their pantry when they need it
• there are no chemical fumes
• your kids won’t suffer if they touch the wall after you’ve cleaned it

The cons of using Baking Soda to remove crayon from a wall

• you need to put in some elbow grease, but not too much
• the grittiness of the Baking Soda is fine using it once but if you need to keep attacking the same patch of wall over and over after multiple crayon artworks, it’s going to start taking a layer of paint off the wall

I like the Baking Soda method and I’ve used it many times.

Extra bonus tips on using Baking Soda…

In addition to getting rid of crayon, you can use Baking Soda to remove grease on your pots and pans. The baking soda cleans them up really nicely. Every few weeks I do this to get them really shiny again.

I also use Baking Soda to remove coffee stains from cups and mugs. This is something I do regularly because I hate not having sparkling white mugs to serve coffee in when friends drop by.

I’m not very precise about this, but here’s what I do.

I add a heavy sprinkle of Baking Soda to each mug. Then fill it will warm/hot water and let it soak for a few minutes. The time varies depending on how much patience I have that day.

Then I use my dish brush up and down the inner sides of the mug. This has never failed me. It works like a charm every time.

2. Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon Oil also works really well for removing crayon from walls.

I simply “splashed” a few drops of the pure oil onto the wall and then used a rag wrapped around my fingers to rub the crayon off. This works really well.

I don’t know if the lemon essential oil will leave a mark on certain surfaces. I would suggest testing this essential oil in an out-of-the-way spot before applying it all over your wall. But it does work on crayon.

If you already have Lemon Essential Oil in your home then this is easy to try. If you need to buy some, take a look at this product.

Extra bonus tips for using Lemon Essential Oil…

Once you have Lemon Essential Oil in your house you’ll find lots of other uses for it.

In addition to removing crayon you can also use it to remove sticky residue like tape or gum residue. Simply rub it on to the spot with the residue to remove.

You can also use lemon oil with water in a spray bottle to keep pests away from your garden.

And if your fridge isn’t smelling great, you can use some Lemon Essential Oil on a cotton ball to act as an air freshener in there. Leave it in there for a few days before removing and you’ll notice a better smelling fridge.

3. Magic Eraser Sponge

For removing crayon, these Magic Erasers work really well. They say “no harsh chemicals” but to be honest I have no idea what ingredients they contain.

At least they don’t fill your home with chemical fumes. If you want a quick and easy cleaning solution to keep on hand, these are the ones.

These Magic Eraser Sponges remove crayon from walls and clean lots of other surfaces too.

 I don’t use these Magic Erasers all the time but when I do need one they’re really handy. They take the elbow grease out of the job. So if you’re feeling like you’ve run out of energy and you still need to clean up after the kids, these are wonderful to keep in the house, ready to go.