Crayon in the Clothes Dryer: How to Clean it Up

If you've every left a box of crayons in your pants or jeans pocket, then ran it through the dryer, you know what sort of mess is the result. If this has just happened to you, read on to find out how you can easily remove the markings from both your clothes dryer as well from your clothes.

All you need is a can of WD-40, a few old socks or rags and a good bit of elbow grease to get the job done. We'll start with the clothing, simply spray the affected areas with a good amount of WD-40 and allow it to set for up to ten minutes. Next, blot the stain with one of your old rags until the stain lifts up. This may take multiple tries, just continue spraying the garment with WD-40 and continue blotting or gently rubbing the stain free from the fabric. Once the crayon is completely removed, pre-treat the stain with your favorite pre-treating solution before proceeding with a regular was cycle. Be sure the crayon is completely removed before drying the clothes because once a stain is washed and then dried; it will most likely become permanent. Don't be afraid to get up and walk away during the WD-40 process, it can be very frustrating and time-consuming, but don't fret, this process removes crayon from garments eventually, if you put forth the effort.

It's far easier to remove the crayon from the inside of your clothes dryer, also by using WD-40. Unplug your dryer, then spray the crayon markings with a small amount of WD-40 and rub it off with an old rag. You can also use a pen-knife or a putty knife to make this process a little bit easier on your muscles. Again, continue repeating the process until all crayon marking are removed. Next, simply walk away for about a half an hour to let any residual WD-40 dry, then return to "rinse" the dryer with clear, clean water. Be sure NOT to saturate the inside of the machine and ensure that you've removed all traces of moisture before proceeding to the next step.

If you're seeing markings that WD-40 will not remove, it is most likely just staining and this can be remedied by using a little bit of Soft Scrub with Bleach on the stains. Then rinse the leftover Soft Scrub off with a clean, damp rag, ensuring you've removed all of the bleaching agent before drying your clothes as normal.

After you're satisfied with the outcome, run a clean, damp WHITE rag or t-shirt through a complete drying cycle before you put your regular clothes in the clothes dryer. This will ensure that both the residue from the cleaning products you've used are removed as well as ensuring that all of the remaining crayon wax is removed. If you notice even the slightest coloring on the white rag, repeat the entire process again.

Hopefully these tips will help you out in a pinch!