Every few weeks I like to make a mess. I call it a test mess. We make tables that get used in all sorts of different ways, and by all sorts of different people. That includes children, and this month, that includes Santa.
I did 2 test messes recently, and I'd like to tell you about how they went.
First, SANTA!
I invited Santa to come by early. I invited him by leaving out Milk and Cookies. Thankfully he made a huge mess while eating the cookies, so I had a mess to clean up. So I can confirm that cookies, especially these dry cookie crumbs, clean up very easily.
Second, CRAYONS?
The second test was much more of an actual test. I knew the cookie crumbs would just wipe off. The crayons however, I was not sure. That's right, the second test I scribbled all over a table with crayons.
The finish we used on this table is Rubio Monocoat, which cures to a hardened wax. Crayons are also wax, so this seemed like a pretty bad thing to get on a table. So I scribbled on the table and then tried to clean it off. I knew that no matter what I could sand the crayon off, it is a hardwood table, but I wanted to clean it.
Clean Up Attempts
First I tried wiping it off with a rag, and that wasn't going to cut it. Next I tried a little soap, and that still wasn't going to work. 2 attempts, no crayon gone. It was at this point that I knew that getting crayon on the table is a pretty bad thing. I started trying some more extreme options. Finally I did find something, and let me tell you, it's better than sanding the whole table, but I would recommend you keep your crayons on the paper.
The Solution
I used an iron. I figured I could melt the crayon wax, and it worked. I put a damp cloth on the mess, ironed on top, and then scrubbed a little bit, and the crayon lifted. Unfortunately, so did the grain. Solid hardwood doesn't love getting wet, it also doesn't love heat. This was both of those. So the table didn't feel as nice after I did that, so I did still have to sand it. Thankfully just a little, and only in the spot that I ironed, and I could do it by hand. I added a little extra oil to reseal the spot I sanded, and the table was looking good, and feeling good.
Long story short, don't color on your table with crayons, and don't invite Santa over for cookies in November. But if you do, either of those, we can figure it out.
