Have you ever noticed when you google how to clean something, the internet always suggests vinegar? I even put it in my hair once. But I am tired of everything smelling like vinegar, so when it came time to clean crayon from the couch, this time I tried rubbing alcohol, and it worked, sort of. If you don’t believe me, you can check out this gripping iMovie content I made. I documented the whole process from start to finish, complete with a suspenseful bedtime subplot.
Here are the steps:
- I attempted to scrape the crayon with a butter knife, per another internet suggestion, for about 10 seconds before moving on.
- I put rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and applied it to the crayon marks. (I didn’t remove the cover from the cushion at this stage, but you might want to.)
- I was worried it wasn’t going to work, so before it dried, I decided to try the internet’s second favorite solution to everything–baking soda. Maybe this worked, but then there was baking soda all over everything.
- I removed the cover and rinsed/sponged the area with water and let it dry.
- It worked pretty well, but it dried weirdly around the edges, so I rinsed it again.
- It isn’t perfect, but there’s no more crayon, and I think it improved the pee stain that pre-dated the crayon.
- The final step will be to wait a few years until the kids are old enough not to draw/spill on everything, and then flip it over so it’s like new.
I went through these steps because the tag on the cushion says to not put it in the washing machine. But if I was feeling lucky maybe I would have tried it. I machine-washed a dry-clean-only blazer one time, and nothing bad happened.
So, when your two-year old draws all over the couch, don’t fret! As long as you have some rubbing alcohol or vinegar handy, you’ll be fine!