How To Remove Melted Crayon From Clothes - My Mommy Style

Last Friday my husband and I were planning on going on a date to a football game. Earlier during the day I threw my favorite jeans into the washing machine. After the load of laundry was done doing its thing I put everything into the dryer, but first I checked each item of clothing. This is something I’ve started doing after having kids because their clothes are always covered in dirt, food, and other UCOs (unidentified crusty objects) and I want to make sure everything is clean before drying. Everything looked spic-n-span and ready to be tumbled. My husband returned home from work and I was almost ready to go get the babysitter, I just needed my jeans.  I opened the dryer and pulled them out…melted crayon was everywhere!

They were covered in red.

RED!

Everywhere!

I started frantically pulling other items out the dryer. Red…Red…Red… Everything had red crayon marks on it. I started freaking out searching for a lone lipstick tube or anything else that could have caused such a disaster. I couldn’t find anything, I was completely stumped when suddenly I could see in my mind’s eye a scene that played out earlier that day. While vacuuming my boy’s room I reached down and picked up a red crayon and stuck it in the back pocket of my jeans, that I then threw into the washing machine without checking the pockets. UGH!

I threw that load of laundry in my room, so angry that most of my son’s brand new school clothes were ruined and left for my date. Two days later I remembered that I needed to do something about the pile of red stained clothes and googled, “how to get melted crayon out of clothes.” I found some results, but I was skeptical and didn’t think it would work. It was worth a shot though, so I laundered the clothes and just like magic the evil red stained areas disappeared! I was so amazed.

How to remove melted crayon from clothes

Melted crayon stains on clothes can be a distressing sight, especially when it happens to your favorite garments. However, with the right approach and a little patience, you can effectively remove these stains and restore your clothes to their former glory. In this extensive guide, we’ll delve into a step-by-step process that involves both pre-treatment and machine washing.  You will use hot water, vinegar, and dish soap to ensure that those pesky crayon marks vanish.

Here are a few before and after photos. The only reason the colors look different in the photos is because the first ones were taken with a flash at night and the second photos were no flash during the day.

The red crayon marks came out of most t-shirts, jeans, khakis, and socks, but it didn’t work on one of my husband’s work shirts. The shirt was slightly textured so it really soaked up that crayon wax and it wouldn’t come out, but really that shirt was a beast to iron and I secretly was plotting its demise anyway (I think I’ll turn it into this). It also didn’t come out of the bands on my boys’ underwear, but I’m totally fine with stained underwear bands (there’s gotta be a good joke here, but I can’t think of one). For the most part, the stained area ended up looking like new.  So, this might not work for everything in a ruined load of laundry, but it’s worth a shot!

Here are the steps to remove melted crayon from clothes:

1. Prepare Boiling Water – Fill a few large pots with water, put them on your stove top and heat to boiling.  Hot water is a crucial element in this method, as it helps break down and dissolve the crayon wax.
2. Load the Washing Machine: Put the clothes in the washer, and set the water to hot. You want it to be super hot water, so that’s where the boiling water comes into play. Add the hot water (boiling) to the washing machine now.
3. Add Laundry Detergent: Whatever kind you normally use, it doesn’t matter if it’s powder or liquid.  The detergent will assist in removing any remaining crayon residue and general dirt from your clothes.
4. Incorporate Vinegar and Liquid Dish Soap: Now comes the secret sauce for crayon stain removal.  Add 1/2 cup vinegar and 5 Tablespoons of liquid dish soap (Dawn works great).  Vinegar is a versatile and effective cleaner known for its stain-removing properties.  Dish soap helps break down crayon wax and oil-based stains.
5. Allow for a 15-Minute Pre-Soak: Soak clothes for 15 minutes before starting the washing machine.  This soak will further loosen the crayon wax and allow the cleaning agents to work their magic.
6. Run the Washing Machine: After the soaking period, it’s time to set your washing machine in motion. Ensure that you’ve selected a setting with hot water and a full wash cycle. Allow the machine to run through the entire cycle.

I don’t own a front load washing machine so I haven’t tried this yet, but this has worked for others around the internet.

Steps for a front load washing machine:

1. Set washer to sanitize cycle and load clothes (make sure your sanitize cycle will supply hot water).
2. Pour 1/2 white vinegar over the clothes.
3. Add four tablespoons of Dawn dish soap to the clothes.
4. Choose automatic soak cycle if you have one (15-30 minutes is perfect)
5. Add detergent. Use whatever you normally use.
6. Turn on the cycle.

One last step not to forget:

Don’t forget to clean the drum of your dryer so you don’t stain any other clothes. I used a magic eraser and it worked great removing all the red crayon.

Vinegar * Dawn dish soap * Laundry detergent * Large pot * Magic Eraser

Good luck! (And breath…everything will be alright!)

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Hello! I am Camille, a wife, mother of four, Disney obsessed, certified teacher, and reality optimist. Motherhood comes with its ups and downs, and I hope while you’re here you’ll find something that makes your #momlife easier!

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