How to Get Melted Crayon Stains Out of Clothes in 6 Simple Steps

Crayon stains, while probably not ill-intentioned, can be a pain. Whether your little one attempted to add artistic flair to their favorite shirt or a rogue crayon ended up in your jeans pocket when you started a load of laundry, crayons can create difficult-to-remove wax and dye stains. 

As long as you follow the right steps, your stained clothing probably isn’t done for. Here’s how to remove crayon stains from clothes, according to laundry expert Patric Richardson, author of “Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore” and owner of the Minneapolis-based boutique Mona Williams. 

• Towel, paper towel, or brown craft paper
• Iron
• Laundry brush or stain remover
• Laundry detergent

First things first: Take a nice, deep breath. Even if the crayon markings are old, Richardson says you should be able to get the stain out. His go-to method involves the same steps he’d follow if he were removing melted candles from fabric. “Treat the crayon like candle wax, because that’s basically what it is,” he says. 

Avoid tossing the affected clothing into the laundry without treating the stain, or you might end up accidentally setting it. Here’s how to get crayons out of fabric in six simple steps.

1. Place a towel, paper towel, or brown craft paper (such as a brown paper bag without ink printed on it) directly beneath and above the crayon stain to avoid transferring it to other parts of the fabric. 
2. Grab your iron and turn it on a medium or medium-high setting. No need for steam — we just need the help of heat here. 
3. Double-check your garment tag to make sure it can withstand the heat of an iron. (Typically, acrylic fabrics shouldn’t be ironed because heat can scorch them.) 
4. If you’re in the clear, press the iron down on the affected area for five to 10 seconds. The crayon should transfer off the fabric and onto the paper or towel. 
5. Hopefully, most of the waxy residue is gone. If a bit of color remains, Richardson suggests grabbing your favorite laundry brush and stain remover to remove it. Follow the steps on the product. 
6. Lastly, run a regular load of laundry with your normal detergent. Hot water, as long as the fabric can tolerate heat, may help remove the rest of the wax, if any is still on the fabric.