How to Clean Candle Wax Stains
Candle wax stains, especially on fabric, may seem impossible to remove, since no amount of scrubbing or detergent can take them out. When dealing with candle wax stains, you should consider that they are not normal liquid stains. Here’s how to remove those annoying stains.
Things You Need
An iron or a hairdryer
Paper bags, newspapers, paper towels or wax paper
Spot cleaner and scrub
Clean That Candle Wax Stain
Check the garment or fabric for special instructions. Check the washing instructions on your cloth carefully before proceeding. If your fabric is very delicate, such as silk, you may want to consider having it cleaned by a professional.
Use an instrument with a dull edge, such as a butter knife, to scrape off as much of the candle wax as you can. If the wax is still warm, you can put the item in the freezer first (if it is small enough) and let it stay there for a few seconds to harden. Scrape as much of the wax as you can, but try not to damage the material.
Place the paper on top of the stain. For paper towels, use two to three layers. Put your iron on a low setting, for delicates, without steam. Put it over the paper, careful not to burn the material. As you put the heat on, you will notice the paper becoming darker-it’s the wax melting and the paper absorbing it. Once the paper is soaked, put a fresh layer of paper on top until you think that you have sufficiently removed most of the wax.
When ironing, run the iron gently over the surface, and never press down for a long period of time. If you take off the iron and notice that the paper towels have been singed, lower the temperature of your iron before proceeding.
If there is still some color remaining from the wax, you can apply a spot cleaner and scrub it away. You can also use a sponge and a commercial cleaner. Continue doing this until the spot disappears completely.
Do not use a very hot iron as it may melt synthetic fibers in your fabric or carpet. Do not let the iron sit too long on top of the stain, as you may end up burning the fabric. In fact, do not use this method at all on plastic surfaces, or anything that can melt or warp easily with heat.
You can also use a commercial wax stain remover called Un-Du Candle Wax Remover. Simply drop some on the stain and it will dissolve and remove the candle wax without requiring an iron or paper towels.
With a few common household items and a little patience, you can bid your stubborn candle wax stains goodbye.