Wax stains don't hold a candle to these cleaning tips
Imagine this: Just as your dinner party winds down and it's finally time to blow out the candles, a rogue glob of wax slips off the stick and right onto the rug. Thankfully, cleaning up wax is very similar—and often just as simple—as getting rid of other common carpet stains. Here's what to know about how to remove candle wax from your carpet, plus tips for preventing wax spills.
Let's start with some good news. Wax stuck to your carpet will often look worse than it is at first glance. Wax adheres to carpet fibers, often clumping them together and making the carpet look stained.
However, learning how to get dried wax out of a carpet is quite simple as long as you work with the unique nature of the material. But removing wax from the depths of your carpet requires special cleaning instructions because traditional cleaning products don't come into play until later in the process. The procedure will likely require a series of drying, scraping, and melting again to remove each bit of stubborn residue.
If you saw a glob of wax slip off the candlestick holder onto the rug, don't panic. Blow out the candle and move it very gently away from the area.
Let the wax dry on the rug. Yes, this sounds counterintuitive. But messing with melting wax on your carpet can cause it to spread more or fall deeper into the fibers. In fact, you can even speed up the drying and cooling process to hold it in place. Grab an ice pack and wrap it in a towel or plastic bag. Dab the area with the ice to encourage the wax to cool in place to make it easier to clean your carpet like a pro.
As you wait for the wax to dry, research the care instructions for your rug or carpet. If you don't have them, err on the side of safety by opting for low heat options and gentle solutions.
Your best bet for removing dried wax from your carpet is by scraping it by hand. Sure, it's rudimentary, but like food stains on your clothing, it's best to get as much of the solids off the rug first.
Use a dull butter knife to lightly scrape away the top layer of wax. Next, work your way from the bottom of each fiber and pull up with the knife, scraping the wax toward you. It's important not to scrape the knife along the surface to avoid pressing it further into the rug.
If you removed the major clump of wax, you're likely still left with a layer of thin clear or colored wax sunk into the fibers. If that’s the case, it's time to heat it once again. The most popular route is to remove the wax residue with an iron.
Place an iron-safe rag or old shirt over the stain and iron the area with the iron on a low-to-medium setting. It’s particularly important to use low heat to avoid harming the synthetic fibers below.
Hold the iron over the area for 10 seconds. The wax should begin to loosen and then stick to the rag. Test the area for several more seconds to absorb as much as possible and then return to the butter-knife method to remove extra clumps formed during this process.
If you don’t have an iron handy, don’t worry, you can use a hairdryer instead. Complete the same process as the iron method. Place a rag or paper towel over the stain and blowdry the spot on high for 20 to 30 seconds. Check if the wax is beginning to melt and whether it's absorbing into the towel. If so, remove the towel and scrape leftover bits with a butter knife.
If the scraping and melting methods still leave behind residue, take the traditional cleaning approach. Add a few drops of clear—not colored—dish soap to a white rag and add a bit of warm water. Colored soap can risk staining a delicate rug further.
Start on the outside of the stain, dabbing and very lightly rubbing the stain toward the center to avoid spreading it further. The soap should loosen the final bits of wax hanging onto the particles.
Rubbing alcohol should not affect the color or quality of your rug as long as you use it sparingly. Once you've removed most of the dried wax with a butter knife, add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol to a white cloth and lightly dab the area with the towel.
The alcohol acts as a solvent for the wax, breaking up smaller pieces that cling onto your carpet fibers. Once the area is clear, clean it with dish soap and water to remove any remaining alcohol.
As the star of the natural home-cleaning show, vinegar can also help remove wax from carpets in a pinch. Combine equal parts water and white or apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the area stained by the wax with the solution and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Like the alcohol, the solution should help break up any remaining wax. Break out the dish soap and water to remove any remaining vinegar solution after the stain is gone.
Prevention is always the key to avoiding wax spills, so keep these tips in your back pocket for the next time you fill the room with candlelight.
Opt for drip-proof candlestick holders that catch fallen wax.
Ensure your candlesticks are fully upright before lighting.
Melt the bottom on your candlesticks to secure them in their holders to prevent tipping.
Wait until the candle is fully cooled to relocate it.
Only place candles on trays or plates away from fabrics and rugs.
Keep your wick trimmed to ¼ inch to prevent uneven melting.
If you're dealing with a wax catastrophe, you may be tempted to call in the professionals. We recommend trying DIY approaches first to cool and remove the hard sections of the wax that come up easily.
However, you should hire a local carpet cleaning team for an expert eye to get out larger stains. A professional carpet cleaning costs between $120 to $230 on average or about $300 for steam cleaning. The company may also charge a flat fee to clean the room and an add-on fee for wax removal.
Check out these answers to questions about removing wax from carpet.
Wax is not difficult to remove from carpets, but removing the residue may take several approaches. Let the wax dry before manually removing the largest pieces with a dull knife. Then, focus on clearing out the wax residue by reheating it with an iron or blow dryer or blotting the area with a solvent like isopropyl alcohol.
It’s relatively easy to remove wax with an iron by following the instructions above. This method will soften the remaining residue on the fibers so you can scrape off more with a knife. You can also lay a cloth over the stain and iron the area for several seconds to absorb the melted wax into the fabric.
Vinegar can break up small pieces of wax stuck to your carpet fibers. Combine a solution of one-part vinegar and one-part warm water. Spray the solution on the wax stain and let it sit for 20 minutes. This method works best after you've removed large pieces of dried wax from the spill.
