6 Common Kids' Stains (and How to Get Rid of Them)

June 15, 2011, By Ryan Tetzlaff 0 comments

As a father of six great but messy kids, I’ve dealt with a lot of the various stains that kids are prone to make. Through the years I've developed some battle strategies that have worked for me and will work you. With this guide you'll be able to get rid of some of the most common pesky stains using basic household items.

Crayon

Depending on what your kids used as the canvas for their artistic creation, crayon can be really easy or really difficult to remove. Most of the time the surface covered in crayon is a wall. We typically use a semi-gloss paint on our walls, so removing crayon can be as simple as wiping it off with a facial tissue or paper towel. If you used a flat paint on your wall, try gently scraping off any excess crayon with a plastic spatula or even a credit card.

Crayon on clothing can be removed by melting the wax. Scrape off any excess and then try melting the wax by pouring boiling water on the fabric. When the wax melts, carefully blot it away. Don't risk melting wax with an open flame or you'll end up with a flaming garment.

Grass

For those all-too-common summertime grass stains, we like to use specific cleaning products like an enzyme-based detergent or a laundry stain remover. If you pre-treat the clothing item before you put it in the wash to help break it down a bit, you shouldn’t have any issue taming the stain.

Permanent Marker

There is a reason these markers are called permanent. My kids love to color their faces and each other with markers. They usually use washable markers, but every once in a while they’ll get their hands on the black or red permanent markers (which we try to hide from them) and mark up their faces. It’s a bit embarrassing to go to the library and have people ask how our kids got injured—smeared red and black permanent markers make great fake bruises.

One handy way to remove permanent marker stains is to mix toothpaste with baking soda and rub it into the stain. This mixture typically works pretty well on hard surfaces, or, when kids use them for body art, hands and feet. If you use this method to scrub down a stained kid, be sure to keep the mixture out of their mouths, eyes and other openings. For more stubborn stains on surfaces other than your kids, rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover usually works. Just dampen a cotton ball and rub it on the stain. Use this method as a last resort on clothing, carpets or walls as it could strip the color from the surface.