How to get crayon out of carpet

How to remove crayon from carpet

1. 1

   Scrape off the crayon

   Scrape crayon off the pile with a dull knife or metal spoon, lifting rather than pushing it down. If it's soft or smeared, hold an ice pack in a plastic bag on it first so the wax hardens. Vacuum up the crumbs.

   Why: Hard wax is brittle and lifts off; soft wax smears deeper. Keeping the ice in a bag stops melt water from soaking the carpet, which Iowa State warns makes wax harder to remove.

2. 2

   Test your cleaners

   Test the solvent and any rubbing alcohol on a hidden patch of carpet, such as inside a closet, and blot with a white cloth to check for color transfer.

   Why: Solvents and alcohol can affect some carpet dyes. If one changes the carpet, skip it.

3. 3

   Blot with a dry-cleaning solvent

   Put a small amount of dry-cleaning solvent on a white cloth and blot the crayon, working from the edges to the center and turning the cloth as it picks up color. Continue until no more transfers. Never pour solvent onto the carpet.

   Why: Crayon wax is oil-soluble, so a solvent dissolves it into the cloth. This is the first step in both the Carpet and Rug Institute's and the University of Georgia's crayon methods. Too much solvent can damage the carpet backing.

4. 4

   Blot with dilute dish detergent

   Mix ¼ teaspoon of clear dish soap in 1 cup of lukewarm water, blot it onto the area with a clean cloth, let it sit a few minutes and blot again.

   Why: Detergent lifts the thin waxy film and the solvent residue. It's the Carpet and Rug Institute's second step for crayon.

5. 5

   Lift leftover color with diluted alcohol

   If a colored tint remains, mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water and, if your carpet passed the test, dab on small amounts, blotting well after each.

   Why: Once the wax is gone, the pigment is what's left. The University of Georgia uses diluted rubbing alcohol for crayon dye in carpet.

6. 6

   Rinse and dry

   Mist with plain lukewarm water and blot two or three times, then let it dry and brush the pile up with your fingers.

   Why: Detergent left in carpet attracts dirt, so the spot would darken again over the following weeks.

Why crayon is a two-part stain

A crayon is a stick of colored wax, usually paraffin mixed with pigment. On carpet, that gives you two problems. The wax coats the yarns and won't dissolve in water, so it needs scraping and a solvent, or heat and an absorbent. The color is pigment that can stay behind once the wax has gone, and it needs its own step. It belongs with the wax and resin stains.

The order matters. Using water and detergent first just smears waxy color around. Remove the wax, then clear the color, then rinse out whatever you used.

The warm iron and paper towel method

For thick or ground-in crayon, the candle-wax method used by the American Cleaning Institute and Iowa State also works on carpet: lay plain white paper towels over the spot and press with a warm iron for a few seconds, lifting and moving to a clean area of towel as the melted wax soaks in. Keep going until no more color transfers.

Be careful with heat. Use a low setting, keep the iron moving, and never let it touch the carpet directly, since synthetic carpet fibers can melt and glaze. Never use the iron after a solvent until the solvent has fully evaporated, because it's flammable. Follow with the detergent step to remove the waxy film the heat leaves behind. For more on carpet care, see how to clean carpet.

By situation

Crayon ground into the carpet

Kids' crayon marks are often rubbed in hard, coating the yarn tips. Scrape, then use the solvent patiently, or the iron and paper towel method, before detergent. Expect several passes.

Melted crayon on carpet

Crayon that melted, from sun or a heater, has soaked down the yarns. Let it cool and harden fully, scrape the surface, then use the iron and paper towels to draw out the wax that sank in.

Colored stain left after the wax is gone

Try the diluted rubbing alcohol. Crayola's own guidance for its crayons on carpet is to use a carpet cleaner according to its directions, preferring an oxygen-based product, and repeat as needed.

Acrylic or acetate carpet fibers

Alcohol damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibers. Check the carpet's fiber content before using it, and skip the alcohol step if it's one of these.

Wool carpet or an oriental rug

Use solvent sparingly, skip ammonia and harsh cleaners, and call a professional rug cleaner for any color that remains. Avoid the iron on fine or antique rugs.

What not to do

• Don't start with water and scrubbing. Water doesn't dissolve wax, and scrubbing smears the color and frays the yarn tips.
• Don't pour solvent onto the carpet. Solvents can destroy the carpet backing and soak into the pad.
• Don't let the iron touch the carpet. Direct heat can melt synthetic fibers, and it spreads wax instead of lifting it.
• Don't use gasoline or lighter fluid. The University of Georgia warns against them specifically. They're a fire and health hazard.

Other methods that work

Oxygen-based carpet cleaner

Crayola's guidance is to scrape, then use a carpet cleaner (oxygen-based preferred) according to its label, repeating as needed.

Caution: Test on a hidden spot first and rinse out any residue.

Hair dryer instead of an iron

Warm air re-melts the wax so it can be blotted into a paper towel, on the same principle as the iron method.

Caution: Keep it moving on a warm setting, and blot as you go so the wax doesn't spread.

Petroleum-based lubricant spray

A popular tip, since petroleum solvents dissolve wax. No stain guide recommends it, so it's a traditional method with weak evidence.

Caution: It leaves an oily residue that needs the detergent and rinse steps, and it's flammable.

Stain still there?

The color spread into a bigger smudge

Too much liquid moved the pigment. Let it dry, then go back with a barely damp cloth of solvent, working from the outer edge inward and turning the cloth often.

The spot looks greasy or attracts dirt

Wax film or detergent residue is left. Blot with solvent once more, then the detergent solution, and rinse with plain water several times.

A faint tint won't go

Repeat the diluted alcohol or an oxygen-based carpet cleaner. If nothing changes, the Carpet and Rug Institute's last step is a professional cleaner.

Safety

• Dry-cleaning solvent and rubbing alcohol are flammable. Ventilate, keep them away from flames, and let them evaporate fully before using an iron.
• Wear rubber gloves when using solvents.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Crayon on other surfaces

• Crayon stains: the complete guide
• Crayon on clothes

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