Have you ever wondered how to get pencil markings off the wall? Whether you’ve got a mischievous child or you’ve accidentally brushed against a wall yourself with a pencil, getting the mark off might be high on your list of priorities – but how do you do this?
There are several ways to get pencil markings off a wall, including a standard eraser, a little bit of toothpaste, eraser sponges, a bit of baking soda, or a cleaning solvent. Any of these should help to remove the mark, especially if it is light.
Let’s take a further look at how you can remove pencil from a wall. Most of these methods will work well, but you may need to try several or repeat the process a few times to remove stubborn stains.
Table of Contents
How To Get Pencil Off Wall
So, what are the top methods for removing pencil markings from a wall? There are many options, but some of the best and most successful include:
- A standard eraser
- Toothpaste
- Art gum erasers
- Baking soda
- Dry cleaning solvent
- Foam erasers
- Detergent
Which you should try depends on what you have to hand; don’t go rushing out to purchase art gum erasers before you’ve attempted it with a standard eraser, and don’t feel you need to buy a special dry cleaning solvent if you’ve got baking soda in the cupboard.
Let’s look at how to apply each of these to get rid of pencil marks.
Using An Eraser
This should be your first option, and most households will have erasers readily available. You may even have one on the end of the pencil that made the mark. However, before putting an eraser on the wall, make sure it is very clean, or it may leave worse marks than the one you are removing.
Rub the mark slowly and gently so you don’t smear it, working in little circles. This should lift the graphite off without ruining the paint. Pause to brush off the eraser shavings every few minutes, and keep working at it until the mark has gone.
Using Toothpaste
White toothpaste should also work to lift away graphite. However, you should only use a very small amount, or it could damage the paint. Get a soft cloth and squeeze a little dab of toothpaste onto it, and then rub this on the pencil mark using a circular motion.
Do not press too hard or scrub at the wall; work slowly and gently. This should wipe away the graphite and leave the wall clean again.
Using An Art Gum Eraser
Art gum erasers are great for absorbing graphite, so if you’ve got one of these and you’re trying to shift a stubborn pencil stain, this may be the way to go. Again, simply rub the eraser over the mark, passing back and forth until the pencil lifts off.
You can get art gum erasers from most good art stores, but if you haven’t got one, you might want to try one of the other options instead.
Using Baking Soda
You are probably already aware that baking soda has some amazing cleaning properties, and it’s great for walls too. If you’ve got some in the cupboard, this is another simple solution. However, you should be careful, because baking soda is mildly abrasive and could mark the wall if you rub too hard.
To try this, it’s best to mix the baking soda with water first; this will turn it into a paste that is capable of absorbing the graphite. Work slowly and only add a little to the wall at a time. Stop if you find that it is damaging the paint.
Note that you don’t want to make the wall very wet while doing this; you just want to lightly moisten the part with the pencil on it, and rub the stain away. Use a soft cloth so that you don’t damage the wall.
Using A Cleaning Solvent
If you’ve got some really stubborn pencil, you may wish to try a cleaning solvent to remove it. Use a dry one, rather than a wet one that could leave further marks on the wall if it runs.
There are lots of dry cleaning agents available in stores, so choose one that says it is suitable for use on paintwork. Test it on a small, inconspicuous area of the paint before you use it on the pencil, and make sure it doesn’t affect the surface.
Once you’ve checked it is safe, simply apply a little cleaning agent to a soft cloth and rub it onto the pencil marks. This should help to remove them.
Using A Foam Eraser
A melamine foam eraser may also work if you’re still having problems, or if you’ve got one handy. Lightly wet the side of the eraser that you intend to use, and then rub it gently back and forth across the marks. It is slightly abrasive, so don’t rub hard, or you may ruin the paint.
You can use melamine erasers on a whole range of different surfaces, but be careful using one on your wall.
Using Some Detergent
Every household has detergent in it, but make sure you choose one that is very mild before you start applying it to your paintwork. Detergents can easily strip paint off a wall, so you need to be careful.
Mix the detergent with a small amount of water and get a soft cloth to rub the wall. Don’t put neat detergent on the wall unless you have tested that it doesn’t damage the paintwork. Gently rub the cloth in a circular motion, back and forth across the mark, until the mark has disappeared completely.
Conclusion
There are many methods for removing pencil markings from a wall; if one of these fails, try the others until you manage to lift the pencil off. Work gently and slowly so that you don’t scratch or wear away the paintwork. For deep pencil marks, it may be necessary to touch the paint up afterward.