Cleaning advice: Removing chalk from walls | Toddler lets loose on wall with chalk

In a toddler’s world, everything is a blank canvas awaiting their artistic inspiration with whatever materials they have on hand.

In this instance, the canvas was a wall and the material was red chalk.

“Help! Toddler drew on wall with coloured chalk,” their exasperated parent shared on Reddit’s ‘Cleaning Tips’ thread.

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“This mark is left after wiping with a normal sponge and a magic eraser,” they explained, adding that their toddler used “a huge outdoor chalk crayon”.

“It was damp, and left chunks of chalk on the wall. This is after our first attempts to clean it. What else can we do?” they asked.

And their advice was pretty blunt.

“Depending on the finish on the paint, you might have to repaint,” one said.

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“Don’t use the magic eraser any more. Maybe try Dawn and water on a sponge,” they added.

“Magic eraser is mild sandpaper,” another said, adding the parent may need to “prime and repaint that spot”.

The news didn’t get any better.

“If the paint on the wall is a satin or semi-gloss or anything that has a sheen to it the magic eraser will get rid of that sheen and leave a matte or flat spot on the wall,” another explained.

More than one Redditor suggested the toddler’s artistic endeavours may not be complete, and it may pay to wait until they are older to undertake any major repairs such as repainting.

“Just wait til kid is older and repaint,” one suggested.

“Wait until the kids is 18,” another added.

“Magic eraser is really abrasive,” one shared. “The paint is now ruined and all the chalk is mixed in. Next time, try a couple different cleaners before sandpapering your wall.”

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“Your only option is to prime and repaint now,” another said.

Others also suggested setting up a permanent spot for the toddler to use for their indoor chalk art.

“When i was little i did something similar and my dad ended up chalkboard painting a rectangle area over it for me to use. Then when I got older and didn’t use it anymore, he repainted the garage and covered the chalkboard paint area!” they shared.

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Another suggested using “chalkboard paint” which will form a perfect base for the wall to become the toddler’s canvas and most importantly, easily rub off.

On the same track, one Redditor suggested: “Or even just a glossier finish. I let the kids chalk on the walls all the time and it just wipes off with water and a paper towel.”

Another suggested they just “hang a chalkboard there”, which would also serve to hide the damage until they are able to repaint.

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“For future reference, always work on a small section at a time,” said another.

“Clean, wipe, and dry. If you wet and wipe the whole area there is more time for the diluted stain to seep into and set in the surface. This goes for any absorbent surface, mold, dirt etc.

“Also clean from the bottom up, so you don’t get drips running down into a dry section, which gives you permanent streaks.”

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