Crayons + Walls = Disaster??

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I recently saw a post by a mom who'd just found her walls decorated by her little ones with crayons.  I remember my youngest and her experiment with my RED lipstick......but that's another post.  

So crayons and walls.......it must happen at least once in every home.  You'd think there would be a "How to Get it Out" manual given to new mother's at the hospitals when they leave with their little bundles of joy.

I did some research and this is what I found (in no particular order & I can't vouch for any of them--except the repainting....I've done that more than once!):

1) Okay.....so you're supposed to use the hair dryer on hot, to melt the wax and wipe away the crayon as it melts (not sure that's the best plan).  And then once you've removed most of it you're supposed to use a dish washing detergent with a damp sponge to wash away what's left........hope you have really good paint on your walls!

2) Hmmmm.....alright....the instructions said to spray a little on a paper towel or a cloth and wipe off the crayons......anybody out there ever try this?  Oh, you
do need to wash the oil off after the crayon is removed....WD-40 does make a pen they claim isn't as messy and will remove crayons, glue, stickers....might be worth investigating. 

Other  oil  based products that supposedly do the same thing are mayonaise, baby oil, non-stick cooking spray, and hand lotion.
  

3)  Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - I've bought them before (not for crayon removal) and they did a pretty good job on what I bought them for, so this is something you'd have to try yourself and see if it would do the trick.  The secret behind these types of erasers is a material commonly called melamine foam. With just a little water, melamine foam can dig in and destroy stains that other products can't touch.

4) Toothpaste (the brand doesn't matter).......rub and scrub....and the marks are gone!  Good for filling nail holes to by the way. 

5) When all else fails, cover the marks with Kilz primer, and repaint the wall! They now make a water based product that will cover just about any stain and the clean up is easy.  It's just the thought of having to repaint an entire wall!


The list goes on and on.....I discovered a plethora of methods, and probably one's as good as another.  When my girls were little I don't think we knew all these things...or maybe it's because the internet wasn't invented yet (yes, I'm that old...)

1. Baking Soda – make a paste with water and use it to gently scrub the mark. You could also just sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and rub.
2. Shaving Cream – apply, rub in, then wipe off.
3. Turpentine – dab some on a damp cloth and scrub into stain (don't breathe too deep and wear gloves so it's not absorbed through your skin).
4. Lighter Fluid – apply as you would turpentine (does anyone have lighter fluid any more!?).
5. Goo Gone – Same directions as for turpentine.
6. Ammonia – soak a section of cloth in household ammonia then scrub into stains. You may also luck out with an ammonia based cleaner like Windex and a hot soapy cloth.
7. Vinegar – soak a toothbrush in white vinegar and scrub (gently!).
8. Powdered Dishwasher Detergent – make a paste with water and gently scrub area. Some detergents contain bleach so be careful on wallpaper.
9. Powdered Household Cleaners – such as Ajax or Comet. Mix with some water or sprinkle on a damp sponge then scrub gently. (GENTLY WOULD BE THE OPERATIVE WORD HERE!)
10. Hairspray – spray generously on walls then scrub off the crayon.
11. Rubbing Alcohol – Saturate a clean cloth then rub.

If you have a method not listed here, I'd love it if you'd share!