My nephew visited last Thanksgiving. I did not realize he had brought crayons until I found a rainbow mural on the hallway wall — approximately three feet wide and at perfect toddler height. My first instinct was to scrub it with a magic eraser. My second instinct, after remembering that magic erasers are basically ultra-fine sandpaper that will strip the paint sheen, was panic.

I called my sister. She has three kids and has dealt with this approximately four hundred times. She told me three things, and all of them worked.

Start with the blow dryer

Crayon is wax. Wax melts. Grab a hair dryer, set it to medium heat, and hold it about three inches from the crayon marks for 15 to 20 seconds. The wax will start to look glossy and wet. Immediately wipe with a dry microfiber cloth in one direction — do not scrub back and forth or you will smear melted wax into the paint texture.

This removed about eighty percent of the damage on my wall. The remaining marks were lighter and thinner, mostly where the crayon had been pressed hard enough to dig into the paint.

WD-40 for the stubborn spots

Spray a little WD-40 onto a paper towel — not directly on the wall because overspray is a pain to clean. Dab the remaining marks gently. The oil in WD-40 dissolves crayon wax without affecting latex paint. Wait about 30 seconds, then wipe with a clean paper towel. Follow up with a damp cloth with a drop of dish soap to remove the WD-40 residue — otherwise dust will stick to that spot forever.

What not to do

Do not use anything abrasive — no magic erasers, no scouring pads, no baking soda paste. All of those will dull the paint finish and leave a matte patch that catches the light differently than the rest of the wall. You will trade a crayon mark for a permanent scuff mark that is arguably worse.

Also do not use acetone or nail polish remover. Acetone dissolves latex paint. You will wipe the crayon off and the paint color will come with it.

My hallway wall is now crayon-free and the paint still matches. Total time: about 12 minutes. None of it involved scrubbing.