How to Remove Melted Crayon from Car Seats

Co-authored by Chad Zani

Last Updated: February 19, 2023 References

If you have children or do a lot of babysitting, you may have found some abandoned crayons melted onto your car's upholstery. But don't worry, you aren't doomed to have multi-colored seats covered in wax forever. To rid your car of crayon residue, loosen the wax, remove it, and then get rid of any stains the wax leaves behind.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Loosening the Wax

1
Melt the crayon wax onto a paper bag with an iron. It’s safe to loosen crayon wax with an iron whether your car’s upholstery is leather or fabric. Cut open a brown paper lunch bag and lay it flat over the area where the melted crayon is. Put the iron on its lowest heat setting and press it onto the paper bag. You should start to see the wax become absorbed by the paper bag. Do this for a minute or two, or until the wax looks and feels more like a liquid.
- You can also do this with paper towels instead of paper bags.^{[1]
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- You can also melt the wax with a hair dryer or a fabric steamer.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have access to an outlet and it’s hot outside, park your car in the sun. Roll your window down and let the sun beam in for 30 minutes or an hour. This may help liquify the wax.^{[3]
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- Before touching it, test the temperature of the crayon wax by holding the back of your hand about 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from it. If it hurts at all to hold your hand this close to the wax, don’t touch it.
2
Place a bag of ice on the wax residue. You can also loosen the wax from your fabric or leather seats by freezing it. Put a handful of ice cubes in a plastic sandwich bag and set the bag on the melted wax for a couple of minutes. This will make it brittle and easier to break off.^{[4]
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3
Spray WD-40 on the crayon wax. Spray a generous amount of WD-40 onto the area where the melted crayon is. Then, leave it alone for a few minutes.^{[5]
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Research source} WD-40 can effectively loosen the crayon wax when applied to car seats that are upholstered in either leather or fabric.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Removing the Wax

1
Scrape the crayon wax away with a dull knife. After you’ve loosed the wax by heating, freezing, or applying WD-40, use a butter knife to scrape away the big pieces. Do this carefully so that you don’t damage the car seat.
- You can also do this before loosening the wax to get rid of any already loosened pieces.
- Avoid using a sharp knife.
- If you struggle to make progress, heat or freeze the wax for a longer amount of time or apply a little more WD-40 and then try again.
2
Wipe up residue with a damp cloth. Moisten a clean cloth with water. Mop up the residue by wiping off the leather or carefully dabbing at the fabric until the crayon wax is gone.^{[6]
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- Make sure that your cloth is clean, otherwise you will make the seat even dirtier.
- It will be a good idea to use a light-colored microfiber towel. If you take a dark-colored towel, you won’t be able to see whether the residue is getting removed.
3
Leave the car door open so the seat can air dry. After wiping up the residue, leave your car doors open for half an hour or so. Then check to see if the seat is dry. Shut the car doors once the seat has completely dried.^{[7]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting Rid of Crayon Stains

1
Scrub stained upholstery with dish soap and a toothbrush. Squirt some grease-cutting dishwashing liquid onto an unused toothbrush. Scrub the stained area that the crayon wax left behind.^{[8]
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Research source} Wipe up any remaining suds with a cloth dampened by water only. Let the car seat air dry.
2
Blot stained upholstery with dry cleaning solvent. Put a couple of drops of a dry cleaning solvent, such as Guardsman, onto a clean cloth and then lightly dab the stained upholstery. Add a little more solvent to the cloth if you don’t see progress. Then, let the car seat air dry.
- Do a test on an inconspicuous part of the upholstery beforehand to make sure it’s suitable for your particular type of upholstery.^{[9]
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3
Sprinkle baking soda on the stained upholstery. Cover the stain completely with baking soda. Let it sit for at least a half an hour or so, and then vacuum it up to remove the stain.^{[10]
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Research source} Repeat this process if the stain remains.
4
Apply rubbing alcohol to stained leather. If you have crayon stains left behind on your leather car seats, put a little rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth. Wrap the cloth around your finger and apply some pressure while you rub at the stained area. Then wipe the area with another cloth lightly dampened with warm, soapy water. Finally, wipe the area with a clean cloth dampened with water only and then let the spot air dry.^{[11]
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- Make sure to use a mild soap to make your soapy water.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I get a melted crayon stain off my fabric car seats?

Community Answer

Use a towel and an iron. Place the towel over the crayon and iron the towel. The crayon will melt into the towel.