I Need to Remove Artwork .... Help!

Updated on December 29, 2008
H.F. asks from El Segundo, CA
73 answers

My sweet, intelligent, beautiful, artistic two year old decided to leave her mark on our apartment the other day. How do you remove crayon from flat wall paint? Are we just going to have to paint over it? I'm thinking that might just be easiest.

Thanks

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So What Happened?

Okay, so after all the praises for the magic eraser I went and bought four of them. It kind of worked but I had to use all four sponges to shreds and I scrubbed and scrubbed for well over an hour and I only got half of it off. Next is goo gone... I'll let you know how that one goes.

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Y.J.

answers from San Francisco on

I started to say the magic eraser but since that did not work I would have to try another solution. You know about the oxy clean. Try that powder form into a paste and see what happens.

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N.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

I worked in a preschool for 4 years the one thing that worked the best was Mr. Clean Magic Easer you can get it anywhere walmart, target, etc. Just get it wet and scrub real hard and it should come right off. I think they sell like two in a box and they are reusable too!!! Good Luck!

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C.R.

answers from San Diego on

The Mr. Clean magic eraser can clean off sharpies so I assume they might be able to clean up crayons. They really are magic! =)

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N.T.

answers from San Francisco on

Wow, I have learned something new myself.... I always have used 409. I am going to have to try this Mr. clean Magic Ereaser...... I have also used bleach and comet cleaner however they do take the paint off the walls. I had a Day Care out of my house for seven years and I did alot of cleaning and we were always told in classes to santize and clean with beach (Small amount per gallon). Good Luck

1 mom found this helpful
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L.K.

answers from San Francisco on

Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser...it has worked for me.

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L.C.

answers from San Francisco on

do not laugh but try toothpaste or baby wipes. i used to work at a place were kids tagged on the walls all the time and we would use good old fashion colgate toothpaste and some elbow work- and it took out the perminate marker. good luck and i will cross my finger for you.

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S.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Don't buy the paint yet, instead go to your local grocery store and buy Mr. Clean Magic Sponges, they take off almost anything on walls, including usually crayons. You just wet them and rub on the wall, leaves no marks. I was told about them a couple years ago and it has saved me every time. good luck.

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J.M.

answers from Stockton on

Hi, H.. I swear by using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. When my son was 3 yrs. old (he's now six), he used to draw on our walls and furnitures with not only crayons but permanent markers. And thank goodness for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, it saved my sanity ;o)

Good luck.

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S.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Try using the Magic Eraser by Mr Clean-It works wonders. Keep it away from children though- as it has some checmical in it that can harm their skin. Good Luck!

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M.C.

answers from Honolulu on

Mr Clean magic eraser sponges. About $1 each. Get some!!

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L.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

Try baking soda first with a damp cloth. If that doesn't work, try spraying it with hairspray and rubbing with a very damp cloth. As a final attempt, try WD-40 and then rub with a damp cloth after dipping in a very slight dishsoap/water solution. Just don't try any of these on wallpaper because it might ruin the wallpaper. Just some suggestions to be able to use some things you commonly have around the house that are less toxic (baking soda).

Good luck!

L. H.

Costa Mesa

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M.S.

answers from Modesto on

Try the Mr Clean magic Eraser including Sharpie marker off oak tables autographed by children. If you decide to paint over the crayon remember that crayons have wax/oil in them and the crayon will bled right thru since the flat paint draws it into it. Seal in with a coat of latex paint to stop this from happening. This also works for ballpoint pen drawings on walls

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L.P.

answers from Sacramento on

Try "Kilz". You can purchase it at any home improvement store in the paint dept. It will cover just about anything. If you just need a small patch you can purchase the quart size. Once you use the Kilz you can paint over it with the wall color. I recently used it to cover up a garden scene I had painted in my daughters bedroom. She is turning 12 in a couple weeks and thought the walls of garden flowers to be too babyish. I used th Kilz to cover the flowers & grass, once it dried we used the new wall color over it. When my boys were younger they also thought it was ok to crayon on the wall so I know it will work for you! Hope it works...Good Luck

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S.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi H.,
I've been there. Try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It seems to work on my walls.
S.

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T.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Mr Clean Magic Erasers are the best for cleaning anything off walls, floors, etc...

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V.T.

answers from Fresno on

I H.,

I work with acrylics all the time and I've found the best thing to remove paint is rubbing alcohol. Or that "goo gone" stuff, even nail polish remover - tho you risk taking the paint off as well.

Keep encouraging your little artist!!

V. T.

PS. the hardest crayon color to remove is green (strange huh?) so you may have to repeat the process over and over, just don't rub too hard. It will eventually come off, don't rush it.

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S.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

H.,

Try using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge. It works wonders on all sorts of things!!

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S.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

Wow, lots of good advice, apparently people like that magic erase. I have heard it's toxic, so i wouldn't use that, but i do have non-toxic products that remove crayon and tar and wine and nail polish and all sorts of stuff.
I'd be happy to share the information with you. I shop at a wellness company, so it's not something you can buy at the store, it's an exclusive, members only thing, but I am happy to tell you about it.
S.
____@____.com

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E.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

All you need to know is...Mr. Clean Magic Eraser...they really are magic! No worries you walls will be art free in no time!

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H.G.

answers from Sacramento on

Try "MAGIC ERASERS" BY MR CLEAN the little white sponges are amazing things! You can use them for shower scum, toilet rings, removing crayon from any surface, and so much more...... You can find them at Target or almost ant grocery store.
Best of luck!

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S.C.

answers from Bakersfield on

Try Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers. It works wonders for me. My 3 1/2 year old just recently drew on my bedroom wall with a red permanent marker. We are trying to sell our home and we don't have matching paint at this point. I tried the Magic Eraser and it came off. Granted a little paint came with it, but it's much less noticeable than the red markings. I believe the crayon will come off with ease. Good Luck.

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A.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

my little 3 yr. old, then 2, painted my walls with crayon and chemicals after chemicals later, i found out by accident that a grill fire/charcoal starter did the trick instantly without leaving a mess on the wall.i also heard that a WD40 also is very effective. hope this works if you did not already find out since i'm a year late in responding to you.
P.S. for those who are having problems with dry marker writings on the wall, try bleach, it will not go wrong.i tried many stuff, i got so desperate and i thought of bleach. it worked on my glossy painted wall, had a hard time on the matte surface but it did come off.

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M.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I hear that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works well. Wear gloves and keep it out of the kiddies reach. I would also try Goo Gone. Good luck!!

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R.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi H.!

I would try one of those magic erasers from Mr CLean. They worked for me when my 2 year old did the same thing. It didnt damage the paint either.

Congrats on the upcoming move! I was an Army brat, my dad served 25 years including 2 tours of Vietnam. I am going to assmue that you are headed to Huntsville to Redstone Arsenal. If so you will really enjoy living there. All my family live there and I am out here in California missing being there. It is a growing city with lots to do and housing is extremely reasonable and jobs are plentiful. Good luck with both the crayon removal and the move!

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M.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Magic eraser works every time!

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A.T.

answers from Stockton on

You need to get a "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser" - they are usually in the aisle with the kitchen cleaners at a good grocery store or drug store.
Just follow the instructions on the box.
They also get scuffs off the walls from moving furniture & shoe marks for when Cherub decides to walk up the wall like Spiderman. - Maybe my kid is the only one who tried that.
They don't last very long - they're addictive - you run around looking for more stuff to scrub.
I don't usually tout branded products & I don't work for the manufacturer. My friend has an autistic teenage brother and they buy these things by the case to keep up with his creations.
Good Luck!

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A.B.

answers from Sacramento on

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works really well and/or Happy Cow Multipurpose spray is awesome too. good luck!

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M.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I use the magic eraser, but depending on the color, it may remove some paint. I have white walls so, not a big deal.

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S.W.

answers from Sacramento on

Mr.Clean MAGIC ERASER! Amazing at any grocery store/Drug store. Take a picture of it for the memories. One day you'll laugh.

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E.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Try Mr. Clean's magic eraser. Worked for me!!

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D.T.

answers from Chico on

There are a few ways to remove crayon from the walls... #1 is use WD-40, believe it or not there are over 101 uses for the stuff, but working at a local newspaper, WD-40 works great to remove scuff marks off the linoleum, printer's ink out of carpets and also removes ink out of clothing too. It also lifts crayon right up off the walls without removing the paint. The other one thing that removes crayon off of the walls is those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers... Also a spray mixture of Vinegar and water works wonders on many little kid things... LOL I've been there 2 times. Thank God they learned what paper was for... LOL
Good Luck!!
DEE

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A.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi,

I'm not really sure, but have you tried the Magic Eraser? It's worked wonders for me and couldn't hurt to try.

Good Luck!!!

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A.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Try magic eraser It works good,just don't let your daughter get ahold of it.

good luck.

A.

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R.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hello,
I saw your plea and could relate because I recently did a major resurfacing of my walls before family came for the holidays and found, unfortunately, that unless they used washable crayons to create their masterpieces you're probably out-of-luck on flat paint. There's a product called "Mr. Clean Pad's" that you can pick up at any Target or Walgreen's type store that helped a little bit but I did end up having to repaint all of the areas that have flat paint which I'm now convinced does not belong in a house with small children. Good luck, with everything!

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C.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

The Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean is amazing. It WILL take off crayon, scuff marks, and just about anything off your walls. The first time I tried it, I then spent the next hour or so cleaning all my walls. The only catch is they have to be matte walls.

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M.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have a two year old who also thinks he's Van Gough. He colors on just about anything he can. I've found that the Magic Eraser works wonders! It takes crayon off the walls in seconds!
It is not toxic. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/eraser.asp

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A.S.

answers from San Luis Obispo on

Two words. Magic Eraser. You can get it at most stores like Rite Aid.

Good luck.

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J.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser all the way. My daughter did the same thing to our place. You usually dont have to rub to hard either...

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O.Z.

answers from San Francisco on

The best thing for removing crayon from the walls is a product called GOO GONE that can get rid of lots of pencil, crayon or other paint pretty easily. I think you can buy it at most drug stores and certainly at Home Depot or other hardware stores.

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W.A.

answers from Honolulu on

Your new best friend..The Mr. CLean Magic Eraser..as stated below..the generic ones dont seem to work. After it's all clean and pretty throw out all normal crayons and buy the washable ones..they make life tons easier..lol. My 2 year old rarely draws on anything other than paper but in the off chance that she does... The crayola washables wipe away with water. Good luck.

P.s. I wouldn't let the girls clean with the erasers though, there have been reports of chemical burns being caued by kids wiping at thier skin with them. Better safe than sorry. For more info look it up on Google.

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D.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi mama, I read in Parenting magazine that if you blow it with a hairdryer to soften it up, then rub over it with bread (yes, bread), it gets it off. Lemme know how it works :)

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Easy! You just need to buy those weird little white sponges that go by names like "magic pads" or something. They are microfiber or something like that, and work on the weirdest wide spectrum of impossible stains, without any detergent!!! (It does scratch the surface of fancy lacquer or wood, so use your judgement, but flat wall paint is fine.) Honest, they're amazing and perfect for moms of little "artists!"

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K.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

H.....

Try Mister Clean Magic Eraser.... but be careful- who knows what's in it that makes it work!!!

Good Luck,
K.

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C.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

I agree with Sherry, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is the best invention ever. My sister introduced it to me when I asked her how to clean my kitchen stove without using 409 or other products with strong fumes. She told me about Mr. Clean and said that it removes practically everything. So, when my son marked up our wall with crayon and I used Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it came off with no problem. I didn't even really have to use much pressure to remove the mark. However, one thing to note, if you have colored paint on your walls, it will remove some of the paint so make sure you don't rub in one spot for too long. I always have them handy around the house.

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R.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have used "Magic Erasers". You can by them at Target in the cleaning dept. Had to clean walls many times. The darker the crayon the harder to remove. Good Luck!

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A.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I'm nto sure about flat paint, but the Clorox cleaning wipes get crayon off my wood floors/furniture. Might give it a try if you have some around.

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C.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Mr.Clean!! My son did the same thing but with a RED marker on a white wall!!! That Mr.Clean white sponge thing I can't remember what it is called.

Good luck:)

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N.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Try the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or Goo Gone. One of the two should do the trick.

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S.P.

answers from Sacramento on

mister cleans magic erasor. sigh. i know.

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R.L.

answers from Sacramento on

I know how you feel. My daughter drew a nice family portrait
on the living room wall with RED sharpie, when she was two. Magic Eraser and Goo Gone both work for crayon, not so much for sharpie. The only thing that I found that works with sharpie is Sol-u-Mel at full strenght. Sharpie came off and did not damage the paint underneath, which is a pinkish biege color.

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R.L.

answers from San Francisco on

Try the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

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D.M.

answers from San Francisco on

You could try a "Magic Eraser" or similar product. It's a cleaning product sold in most stores, even Safeway carries it. It's like a sponge, that you just wet and then scrub. It works really well for this kind of thing.

Good luck!

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T.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Try those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!

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V.H.

answers from San Francisco on

There is a product I have used to get crayon off things. (Plenty of experience in that department, with four little graffiti artists in my house...) It's called (I am not 100% sure since I don't have the thing in front of me) Cray-Off or Cray-Away or maybe Crayon-Off, and I got it in the cleaning products section at Target or Wal-mart. It worked well, with a little rubbing of a clean rag. Good luck.

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I.R.

answers from San Francisco on

even if you do repaint you still have to clean well. I love the mr clean eraser pad my teens clean god knows what off their walls with it

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H.H.

answers from San Diego on

Ugghhh se WHY WHY WHY do they paint apartments flat???? Mine is too & Damian has colored w/pen in a few places, not to mention the everyday dirt that just gets stuck there & you can't wipe it down! I HATE it, we are almost ready to paint the whole place in the regualr paint & screw it all! LoL Sorry I couldn't help, I just needed to vent b/c I hate that paint too!!

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R.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Try a mr clean magic eraser. Get the name brand, not the generic one. It will take almost anything off of flat paint. I think they are amazing. Good luck. :)

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N.N.

answers from Fresno on

Magic Eraser :) Mr. Clean

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K.M.

answers from San Francisco on

try mr.cleans magic eraser, I havent found anything yet that wont pick up. good luck

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A.N.

answers from San Francisco on

White walls? try a bleach and water solution.
Spic and Span can work...and of course as you said paint.
Good luck!

A. N

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S.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Mr. Cleans Magic Erasers. They are my best cleaning friend. I have three kids, and each and everyone one of them has done their fair share of helping me decorate (and that's saying something cause my walls are custom color flat paint) in addition, this has even got permanant marker off of my walls and my leather couches!!!

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L.D.

answers from Modesto on

Have you tried the magic eraser? You can get it just about anywhere that sells cleaning products. It a little white "eraser" it's made by Mr.Clean. Works pretty good, I haven't tried it on flat paint yet, but it works on everything that I have tried it on.

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A.H.

answers from Modesto on

Mr Clean Magic eraser. It even took permanent marker off my table. I don't question it, I just swear by it!

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K.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Sorry to hear that my kids use to use permanent markers. Well any way god made the greatest thing in the world it is called goo gone and you cand find it practically anywhere and it works wonders. Good luck K.G.

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A.A.

answers from San Diego on

Hello H.,

being a mom for 3 kids my self i had so many of this art work .
what i found it works like a magic is the magic eraser .

i love it ! the only problem is that if ur wall color not white it will remove the color .

so it works magic in the white walls only .

good luck .

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J.Z.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have found that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (found in the cleaning supplies section of any store) is truly magical! It removes almost anything. Hope it works.

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N.S.

answers from San Francisco on

mr. clean magic erasers. the generic ones work too. saved me from gallons of paint and tears.

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K.C.

answers from Sacramento on

Hello H.:
My 2 year old son has done the same thing to our walls. I found that the Magic Eraser, by Mr. Clean worked well. This little white sponge works magic. You will find it in the cleaning isle.

K. C

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S.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

You would still have to get the crayon off to paint over it. I think it would be too waxy for the paint to even stick to. Try buying one of those Eraser Sticks (Magic Eraser) in the cleaning section of your grocery store or Walmart. I hear they work wonders for all kinds of stains and messes. They are basically just white sponges that come in a box.

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H.W.

answers from San Diego on

try the magic eraser! worked for me.

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T.R.

answers from Fresno on

There is a product called Greased Lighting, you can get it at Home Depot or Lowes and it removes crayon and permanent marker. You can try those disposable erasing pads which do wrok but sometimes they remove some paint. Good Luck.

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D.G.

answers from San Diego on

Use Mr. Clean Magic eraser. Works great at removing lots of things.

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R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have a little person who decided to draw a mural on our walls too. I used the magic eraser by arm and hammer. needed a little work, but no more picture!

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