Crayon
Pigment in a wax base, which makes it two problems at once — and the wax half is the one that decides the method.
In detail
A wax crayon is pigment held in a paraffin or soy wax binder, and it behaves as a wax rather than as a dye. That is the useful classification, because it means detergent alone will not shift it: a surfactant lifts oily soil that can be emulsified, and a hard wax film has to be dissolved or abraded first. The carpet institute puts crayon on the solvent branch, opening with a dry-cleaning type solvent and following with detergent, which is the standard sequence for a greasy deposit with a colour in it — solvent for the binder, detergent for what the solvent leaves behind. On a painted wall the same logic holds and the risk shifts: the solvent that dissolves the wax will also soften many emulsion and vinyl paints, so a very fine abrasive or a dedicated wax remover is usually the safer route, tested somewhere invisible first. A paint manufacturer's own wall-cleaning guidance is worth reading before starting, because how much cleaning a wall tolerates is a property of its sheen level rather than of its colour, and a matt finish is the least tolerant of all.
Why
- Crayon is explained by Solubility and polarity
Hacks and claims involving this
- The melamine sponge cleans anything Supported
Sources for this page
Sources
Spot Solver: spot and spill removal procedures
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That crayon routes to the solvent branch, opening with a dry-cleaning type solvent and following with a detergent solution. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — Sprint 5-10: fifteen entries, stain by stain. Sprint 30: enumerated at 296 from the publisher's own sitemap, 134 more read plus 'Unknown'. Sprint 38: 56 more, chosen against stains the catalogue lacked. 192 of 296 read. Supports the claim as stated.
How to Clean Newly Painted Walls
The Sherwin-Williams Company · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That what a painted surface tolerates in cleaning depends on the finish and sheen level of the paint. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — Dusting, General Washing and Spot Cleaning. Supports the claim as stated.
Last reviewed by a person on .