elmer's washable crayons
 

I ran across Elmer's Washable Crayons yesterday and bought them to try them on fabric. I couldn't find any info online about them. I tried a little test piece with every color from the box.

They do NOT wash off of fabric. They may be washable for other surfaces, but unfortunately not fabric. Not a single color came out, whether in cold water or hot.

I thought I'd share to save anyone from having to test it out.

Actually, I used to teach elementary school & they would wash out but usually I had to use warm-hot water, soap & lots of scrubbing -- not good for quilts. The only thing worse were the Rose Art crayons (not labeled washable) that I've actually seen permanently stain clothing.

I use the Crayola Ultra Clean crayons. Usually I don't even need to wash them out. During the quilting process some will rub off, most of the rest I can either brush off or remove with a damp cloth. Or I can just toss the whole thing in the wash with some Tide and cold water on the gentle cycle and it comes out every single time.

Thanks for saying this... I bought some washable but haven't used them yet. I just checked... I bought the Ultra Clean! Whew

Thanks, Natalie, for the caution.

My understanding is the washable crayons are for being able to wash off surfaces like walls and table tops etc. not fabric. Crayons are made with wax. the only way I have ever gotten wax off any fabric and carpet is to use a paper bag or paper towel to place on the area then use an iron so it connects to the paper.

I was reading crayon but my mind was converting it to marker. I can't imagine using a crayon on fabric. I started using the crayola washable markers last year and I don't think I've used another method since then. Love them!

I haven't seen any complaints about the Elmer's Ultra Clean Washable *Markers*. They seem to wash out of fabrics just fine. Here is a link to them on Amazon, although I have seen them at Walmart too:
http://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Ultrac...dp/B003HGGPLW/

Edit: Just wondering. Elmer's also makes Ultra Clean Washable Crayons. But why would a quilter prefer using crayons over markers?

I do it all the time. Especially the white crayon on dark fabric, but I've worked with all of them. They come out no problem every time. The only "downside" is that the line is thicker than with the markers. I definitely haven't ever touched it with an iron (though I have done that trick with candle wax). I don't know the science behind it, but having worked as a 1st grade teacher & a nanny to 2 preschool children for a number of years, I can say with 100% certainty that I've removed the Crayola Ultra Clean crayons from clothing & cloth furnishings more often than I care to admit. I stock up on boxes by the dozens when they go on clearance because inevitably the crayon doesn't just end up on the children's clothing, but on mine as well and I want to be sure to be able to get it out.

And actually, most of the tailor's chalks are made with wax & those certainly come out without ironing.

Tailor's chalk is meant for use inside seams, where it will not show if it doesn't come out. Although white chalk can be used on quilts, many colored chalks will not wash out completely from fabric. The problem is not the wax, but rather the dyes used to color the chalk. You never know exactly what dye is in the chalk or how that dye will react to your fabric. So, most quilters avoid colored chalks like the plague.

I was referring to the white tailor's chalk which I've see many quilters use -- including award winning quilters. I personally don't like it, but my point is that there are other products besides crayons that are made with wax & easily come out of fabric.

The crayons can be sharpened to the the same point as markers, though I usually don't bother doing that with quilts. I first started using just the white crayon to mark dark colored fabrics. Once I found how much easier it was to remove crayon than marker, I was hooked. They don't dry out like the markers do. Also, for show quilts where I'd worry constantly (okay, excessively) about ink getting into the batting & later bleeding back through to the top, the crayons give me piece of mind. I've never heard of that happening with the Ultra Clean markers, but it's happened with other types of markers so I figure it's possible that maybe it could happen with UC markers.