How to Get Crayon Out of Clothes

Has a crafting mishap left you searching for advice on how to get crayon out of clothes? Crayons are a much-loved art supply and are one of the first experiences many have with drawing or coloring as children. Wax crayons come in many vibrant colors and are easy for little hands to hold. Beyond coloring, crayons melt to create crayon art, so their vibrant colors bleed and blend into patterns.

Crayons are a great way to pass an afternoon, but getting them on your clothes is less fun. Whether it’s a melted crayon spill or your child using their clothes as their canvas, crayon wax is a stubborn stain.

Wax particles adhere to the material, making getting waxy lipstick stains off clothes tricky without the proper knowledge. Running crayon-stained clothes through the washer and dryer often worsens the problems, as the crayon melts and adheres back to the fabric or to the inside of your appliances. Discover how to remove crayon from fabric with clever hacks to make the process a breeze.

How to Remove Crayon From Fabric

Not knowing how to get crayon out of clothes can be stressful. Nobody wants to throw out their outfit because of a coloring session. Whether making art with melted wax or using conventional coloring crayons, you don’t need to sacrifice your clothing. Crayon stains look untidy, but fortunately, they wash out readily with the proper supplies.

Learn what makes crayons, why they’re a tricky stain, and the best ways to eliminate them and leave your apparel looking pristine.

What Are Crayons Made Of?

Crayons are primarily composed of paraffin wax and colored pigment. Paraffin wax comes from petroleum, and pigments are derived from various sources. They can be both natural and manufactured.

Paraffin travels to the crayon plant in liquid form; delivery vehicles must protect the paraffin from solidifying (paraffin turns liquid at around 135°F). Paraffin and color pigment are mixed and formed into the characteristic long, thin crayons.

Understanding the ingredients in crayons helps us better remove them. Crayons have been enriched with new substances throughout the last decade. One of the most common is glitter – tiny particles of reflecting material that captures and reflects random shafts of light, making the crayon marks shimmer.

Why Is Crayon Stain Removal Challenging?

The colorings in the crayons make the mark vibrant. Crayons leave a tough stain on fabric like a melted wax spill. At the same time, the paraffin base is soft enough to smear onto fibers and reharden. Together these properties result in a greasy, wax-like, and brightly colored smudge which clings to the weaves of the fabric on clothes.

Unlike organic stains, paraffin is not soluble – it won’t dissolve in water. It also doesn’t disintegrate once exposed to common cleaning solvents such as rubbing alcohol or acetone. Removal is challenging, as the goal is to lift the waxy crayon residue without harming the delicate fabric.

Does Crayon Wash Out of Clothes?

The washability of crayons varies between brands and formulas, although, in general, crayons are washable. Some crayons may come out with minimal effort and only one cleaning process. Others could require elbow grease and combining multiple cleaning ideas.

Since the crayon paraffin wax clings to fibers in the clothes, it’s best to remove it by loosening this bond. Heat melts the wax, making it soft enough to scrape or liquid enough to soak up. Alternatively, certain solvents, degreasers, and cleaners lessen the color’s grip, so it washes away.

Preparing to Clean Crayon Wax

Before you gather your equipment and begin working on erasing the crayon from your clothes, it’s wise to remove what wax you can manually. Lay the crayon-covered garment on a flat surface like a table, and carefully use a dull knife to scrape off excess crayon wax. Remove what you can without wearing the fabric.

If you’re dealing with a spill from melted crayon crafts, use a paper towel to soak up the wax while it’s still wet to minimize staining. After gathering excess wax manually, choose a cleaning idea from the list below to eliminate the remaining residue.

How to Get Crayon Out of Clothes – Dish Detergent

Craft a basic crayon cleaner with dish soap and water. Many crayon brands are washable and come out of your clothes with a bit of liquid dish soap and warm water. Though it’s primarily used on cookware and cutlery, dish soap is a potent degreaser, making it perfect for a greasy, waxy crayon blemish.

Pour the water and dish soap into the bowl, mix, and dip the clothes brush into the solution. Scrub the crayon stain, working in circles to break up the wax, and rinse it clean with fresh water. Inspect the region and repeat if the color from the crayon is still detectable.

Eliminate Crayon Marks in the Washing Machine

If you notice blue crayon drawings on your kid’s shirt but lack the time for a complicated remedy, take care of it in the washing machine.

Although a typical washing machine cycle is frequently insufficient for removing a tenacious crayon stain, you can use a dull knife to slough off the top of the wax stain. The cleaning power of dish soap and white vinegar does the rest.

Fill the dispenser with laundry detergent as usual. Pour the distilled white vinegar and colorless dish soap into the washer drum with your crayon-marked garments.

To remove the crayon spot, run the machine on a regular cycle and dry your items as indicated. Choose a colorless liquid dish soap to avoid accidentally dyeing the clothing with color additives.

Trust Oxygen Bleach for Getting Crayons Out of Clothes

Oxygen bleach is a stubborn stain remover. Unlike traditional bleach, oxygen bleach produces no harmful chemicals and is safe to use on your family’s clothes.

When oxygen bleach meets water, it releases hundreds of tiny oxygen bubbles that penetrate deep into the weaves of your clothes to eradicate the wax. Save time by using an oxygen bleach presoak to get rid of crayon marks.

Add the oxygen bleach, water, and clothing to the bucket and leave it to soak for an hour or overnight for extensive crayon removal. Wring out the clothes and launder as usual. It’s vital to choose a color-safe oxygen bleach to protect the integrity of your clothes.

A Magic Eraser Makes Removing Crayon Simple

A Magic Eraser is ideal for removing crayon from walls and clothing. Magic Erasers are blocks of melamine foam that clean through mild abrasion. The tiny air pockets in the foam move over the stained area as you rub and lift the discoloration.

Though abrasive cleaning is unsuitable for most clothes, it’s perfect for getting crayons off the rubber soles of shoes, furniture, and walls.

Head to the cleaning aisle of your local superstore or the hardware shop and pick up a Magic Eraser. Select an eraser intended for your cleaning material, rubber soles, or a wood tabletop. Review the directions and use the eraser as recommended to draw out brightly colored crayon stains with ease.

Get Melted Crayon Out of Clothes With Baking Soda

Baking soda is a well-known stain eliminator, so unsurprisingly, it’s a cheap and efficient option to remove crayons from clothing. Wax melted in clothing comes off with baking soda; it’s an ideal resolution if you’re short on time to remove crayons manually.

Add a level cup of baking soda powder to the drum of your washing machine and your clothes. Use liquid laundry detergent in the detergent drawer and wash your clothes on a warm, not hot cycle, to avoid melting the crayon.

Inspect the garments as you collect them from the wash. If crayon signs persist, rewash them with baking soda before drying.

A Hair Dryer Lifts Crayon Residue

If you have a hair dryer, you’re well prepared for removing crayon from clothes after drying. Heating the crayon on your blouse melts it into liquid form, so it’s easy to soak up and blot away. A hairdryer is a good heat source for clearing crayon wax off your clothing. It is effective on large and minor spots and safe for any fabric.

Spread your stained object on a hard, flat surface, such as a tabletop, and use a medium-heat hair dryer to reheat and soften the paraffin residue. Blot the patch gently with a paper towel to absorb the crayon wax as heat releases it from the fabric.

Repeat until there is no more staining. For sensitive materials, start with a low heat setting and gradually increase it to prevent wear.

Concentrated Laundry Detergent Eradicates Crayon

If washable crayons stain your clothes or carpet, laundry detergent can help. Though putting crayon-marked garments through the wash with detergent usually doesn’t do the trick, using your detergent as a concentrate will. Liquid laundry detergent is a potent cleaner that is harsh on dirt and mild on textiles.

In the washing machine, laundry detergent is diluted by large volumes of water, lessening its cleaning potential. Exposing crayons to laundry detergent without water removes the crayon traces from your apparel.

Spread undiluted laundry detergent on the crayon on your clothes and let it sit for five minutes. Use a soft-bristled brush or a clothes brush to scrub the crayon streak and rinse it with lukewarm water. Concentrated laundry detergent has adequate cleaning power to handle even tricky blemishes like crayon wax.

Oust Melted Crayon Stains With Chlorine Bleach

Traditional chlorine bleach is another brilliant cleaner for crayons if you don’t have oxygen bleach in your laundry room. Traditional bleach converts crayon molecules into colorless, soluble particles, so they rinse out readily in the washing machine.

Note that chlorine bleach is caustic and produces hazardous byproducts, including fumes. When using chlorine bleach to make a presoak stain treatment to eliminate crayons, read and follow the safety directions carefully.

Fill the bucket with bleach and water and fully immerse the article of clothing for five minutes. Wearing the gloves, squeeze out excess bleach solution, rinse with warm water, and launder as directed on the care label.

Chlorine bleach is not appropriate for use on every type of apparel. The bleach could lighten dark colors and is most suited to erasing crayons from white or light colors. Always wear thick rubber gloves and a mask, and work with chlorine bleach outdoors or in a well-ventilated space.

Hydrogen Peroxide Eliminates Dried Crayon

Scrape up as much wax as possible with a dull knife, and add 3% hydrogen peroxide to a white cloth, paper towel, or cotton ball. If the area is deep into the fabric, employ a blotting motion to remove it or until no more pigment transfers to the cloth.

Apply a small amount of your favorite liquid dish detergent to the affected area. Work the soap into the crayon using a blotting motion. If the spot is still there, keep adding detergent solution and wiping it with a paper towel.

Rinse with warm tap water, pat up excess moisture, and inspect the results. If there is still a stain on the clothing, apply hydrogen peroxide and leave it for an hour. Launder your clothes as usual.

Hydrogen peroxide brightens dull white shirts and may lighten dark garments. If you’re unsure hydrogen peroxide is the proper cleaner, test a small patch in a hidden location before using it.

Use a Clothes Iron to Get Rid of Crayons

Removing melted crayon from clothing is more straightforward than after it hardens. A brown paper bag and a clothes iron are all you need to remove stubborn wax crayon streaks from your clothes.

After allowing the wax to cool in the freezer and extracting as much as possible with a butter knife, lay the stained piece of clothing out on a flat, heat-resistant surface or an ironing board. Cover the paraffin mark with a bit of paper bag cut to size.

Turn on a low heat setting on your clothes iron and gently run it over the back of the brown paper to heat the crayon. The heat melts the crayon wax and soaks into the paper scrap. Remove and discard the crayon-soaked paper with care. If any crayon remains, continue the ironing process until the color is gone.

Tips to Remove Stains From the Dryer Drum

If you tried to wash crayons out of your clothes with a regular cycle in the washer and dryer and ended up with red crayon smears in the drum, don’t panic. Gather a few basic supplies and clean up the mess to get your tumble dryer ready for your next load of laundry.

Gently peel as much crayon from the dryer’s interior as feasible with a credit card or plastic scraper. Do not scrape with metal; this could pull or harm your tumble dryer’s coating.

If crayon wax stains linger, hold a hair dryer six inches from the drum to heat the wax and make it simpler to remove. Another method is to run the dryer for 15 minutes so the heat releases the wax.

Wipe the crayon with a tiny amount of WD-40 using a cleaning cloth or sponge until the wax is gone. Dunk a clean cloth in soapy water, wring it out, and wipe over the dryer drum. If there is any WD-40 residue left, apply extra soap to remove it.

Rotate the drum to view all of the interior regions. Once you’ve cleared all the crayon streaks from the dryer, you’re ready to dry your clothing again.

Did this article help you to understand how to remove crayon from fabric? Crayons are a universally loved art tool. Coloring with them or melting them creates vibrant pictures and stunning art pieces, yet they’re less fun when they get on clothes.

The rich pigments and waxy, greasy nature of crayons make them hard to clean. Don’t let fear of ruining your outfit keep you or your children from being creative with crayons. Use proven home remedies to make getting crayons out of clothing painless.

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