Sidewalk Chalk: So Joyful, So Easy to Clean!
Looking for a family-friendly, low-mess, and inexpensive summer activity? Think chalk art! Getting creative with sidewalk chalk is fun for kids young and old, all you need is a bit of sidewalk, interlocking bricks or playground space. Popular designs include flowers, rainbows, butterflies, smiley faces and hopscotch courts, like this Crayola pattern. If you’re more artistically inclined, consider loftier projects like a favourite cartoon character, a beautiful landscape, or consider recreating famous paintings like the Mona Lisa or Picasso’s Sunflowers. During quarantine, people across Canada have taken to using sidewalk chalk to spread beautiful messages of encouragement, as well as thanks for healthcare heroes and essential care workers helping us through this pandemic.
Ready to join the movement and spread joy within your community? Keep in mind that sidewalk chalk stains are impossible to avoid, but don’t worry, the stains and smudges on your clothing are temporary. Here’s how to easily clean chalk off your clothes:
Step 1: Using a microfibre cloth, blot the chalk stain with rubbing alcohol. Keep blotting until no more colour comes away. Rinse thoroughly with water.
* Rubbing alcohol can remove the colour from fabrics so it’s always a good idea to test an interior seam before cleaning the entire garment.
Step 2: If stain persists, apply a little liquid laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid to the stain before washing. Wait at least 10-15 minutes for the soap to effectively penetrate fibres.
Step 3: Wash stained item in the hottest temperature the fabric will allow (make sure to follow care label instructions).
Step 4: Air dry clothing instead of using the dryer. Drying in the dryer may set the stain and make it permanent, or very difficult to remove. Once dry, if the stain is still visible, repeat the steps above until stain is gone.
PRO TIP: Have chalk artworks found their way up onto the bricks of your home? Don’t worry, bricks are porous, so the fix is super easy! All you need is warm soapy water and a stiff-bristled brush. Just add a squirt of mild laundry detergent in a spray bottle and fill with warm water. Generously spray the bricks with the soap solution, and scrub away. Wet the brush as needed and rinse with the garden hose.
Looking for more sidewalk chalk art ideas, here’s 101 of them, or check out the Pasadena Chalk Festival, this year it’s virtual.
