Crayon stains are the inevitable hallmark of having little kids in your home. Sooner or later a crayon makes its way into the washer and dryer or melts onto clothes in the hot sun. Nothing is more disheartening than to discover clothes that have been stained with crayons. No matter how your crayon stains happen, it is important to know how to deal with them so that they do not turn into permanent stains.

One of the trickiest parts of crayon stains is that it is a combination stain. You will have to deal with removing color and grease. Therefore multiple stain treatments may be necessary, however typically grease removal products should take care of both aspects. The main thing to remember when dealing with a crayon stain is to get started removing it as soon as you notice it. As with any clothing stain, the longer the crayon stain sits before you attempt removal the harder it will be.

The first thing you must do is to use a blunt knife or other fine-edged object to remove the excess crayon residue. Since the crayon is made of wax, you need to treat it as you would a candle stain. Place an ice cube on it to make sure it is as solid as possible and scrape off as much of it as possible.

In order to treat the grease portion of the stain, you will need to treat it as you would any grease stain. One of the best pre-treatments for grease stains is Dawn dishwashing liquid. Designed to cut grease, it can be applied directly to the stain and rubbed in. The item should then be laundered with the hottest water that is considered safe for the fabric. Another great grease-fighting pre-treatment is hand cleaner that is formulated for mechanics. The same technique is used when pre-treating using this type of product. For particularly tough crayon stains, pre-treat the stain with WD-40 before laundering the item in hot water, color-safe bleach and regular detergent. You should test check a hidden part of the garment first before using WD-40 on it.

After the item has been washed, check to make sure the stain is out. If it is not, do not dry it. Repeat the stain treatment or opt for a different stain treatment method and wash the item again. Be sure the stain is completely gone before drying the clothes. If your clothes have been stained by a crayon that made its way through the washer and dryer, make sure you clean out the dryer before you put the newly cleaned clothes back in there. The best way to remove crayon from the drum of a dryer is with WD-40.

Now that you know the secrets of removing crayon stains from clothes, you can rest easy when it happens. You surely won’t wish for crayon stains to appear because dealing with them is time consuming, but at least you know the tried and true methods to ensure your clothes are not ruined forever.