How To Remove Lead Pencil From Unfinished Wood

When you drop a pencil that leaves a mark on the surface of your unfinished wood, or if you have a toddler who decides to draw across the wood surface, you're left with unattractive pencil marks that need removing. Luckily, pencil lead is fairly easy to remove, and the process is quite similar to erasing pencil marks from a sheet of paper. The key is to use ingredients that remove the lead without damaging the unfinished wood.

Step 1

Gently rub a pencil eraser over the lead pencil marks, the same way you would erase pencil from paper. Rub until all pencil marks are removed, as this usually removes all light pencil marks.

Step 2

Wet a cleaning eraser with warm water, and squeeze it out. Again, rub across the pencil marks gently until all pencil residue is gone. This works best for heavy marks or marks spread across a large area of your unfinished wood surface.

Step 3

Rinse a cleaning rag under warm water, squeeze out, and drizzle a few drops of dish soap onto the cloth.

Step 4

Rub the cloth over any leftover lead residue, and let the area air-dry.

Step 5

Rinse the cloth again under warm water, squeeze out, and wipe over the wood to remove any remaining soap.