Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a day care business and one day decided to let the children put footprints on our driveway using tempera paint. I had done it once before with no problem, as it washed off. Well, I have blue prints all over the driveway. I tried straight bleach and they are still here. Do you have any suggestions? - Agnes, Ft. Worth, Texas

I’ll try. Since tempera paint is water-based and water-soluble, it should have rinsed right off with water. However, if it was left on for a while and the surface of your driveway is porous, maybe the paint soaked in. Call the company that manufactures the paint. Most have a phone number on the side of the container for consumer questions or problems.

No luck? If the driveway is concrete, try a concrete cleaner that you can find at most home improvement stores. Or, since tempera paint is “fugitive,” that is, not heavily pigmented, the sun should fade it out over a period of several months. Good luck! - Heloise