How to Remove Candle Wax from Carpet

Removing candle wax from carpet might sound like a nightmare, but it’s a fixable mess – so don’t panic. Candles can fill your home with warm light and inviting scents, from cinnamon and evergreen to vanilla and floral. But if one tips over, you’re left not only with a ruined mood, but also a sticky wax stain embedded in your carpet.

Anyone who enjoys scented candles or uses tapers for a cozy dinner knows accidents can happen – even when you’re careful. Whether it was the cat, the kids, your spouse, or even you who knocked it over, the good news is that wax spills aren’t permanent. Take a deep breath – because with the right steps, you can get that wax out and restore your carpet.

Precautions When Removing Candle Wax from Carpet

Candle wax isn’t too hard to remove from carpeting, as long as you take your time and know how to attack the problem.

As soon as the spill happens, resist the urge to wipe up the hot wax; you will only end up spreading it around and making a larger mess. Let it harden completely first so it will be contained to its original size.

Remove as Much Wax that Comes Up Easily

As I mentioned, let the wax harden. An ice treatment can help here, I mean this literally. Take a few ice cubes and place them in a plastic lunch baggie or gallon sized baggie (whichever will cover the spilled wax). In a matter of 5 minutes or so this will turn the melted wax into a solid and turn it slightly brittle. This will make it easier to remove in pieces.

Be careful you don’t just pull and pull the wax from the carpet as this can damage the fibers. Carefully pick the wax off with a dull knife and your fingers.

Once you’ve gotten up as much wax from the carpet as you can there will be some little particles of wax left, vacuum the area. If you vacuum and notice you can get more wax up, do so then vacuum again.

Removing the Remaining Candle Wax

There are a couple different things you can try depending on the amount of wax on the carpet.

Method 1 – Blow Dryer

If there is just a small amount of wax a blow dryer can work nicely.

• Get a damp cloth and place over the remaining wax.
• Turn the blow dryer to a medium temperature and hold it close to the damp cloth so it will melt the wax and absorb into it.
• Change to a new section of cloth as needed and repeat until gone.

Method 2 – The Iron

Follow the steps for icing and removing as much hardened wax as you can. This is similar to the blow dryer method only we’re using the iron.

• Get a damp cloth, large enough to completely cover the stain and then some, you do not want the heat of the iron directly touching the carpet as it can damage the fibers.
• Turn the iron to a medium setting, place it on the damp cloth, and move it over the stain to draw the wax out of carpet.
• Repeat as needed.
• Change to a new section a cloth as needed.
• If cloth dries out, rewet it as needed. Replace with a new one if necessary.

Removing Any Remaining Color from Wax Stain

There are times when the pigment color from the candle may not be fully absorbed. If this should happen, here are a couple of things you can try:

1. Solvent cleaners like Goo-Gone or Goof-Off are very effective at removing all kinds of stains, but should be used carefully.
2. Be sure not to rub too hard when using them or you could cause damage to the carpet fibers.
3. OxiClean mixed with water or Dawn dish detergent can also help remove any color that remains.
4. 3% Hydrogen peroxide is great for removing dye stains. Test in inconspicuous spot first. Pour full strength onto the dye stain and let dry naturally. If the spot has lightened, repeat. Hydrogen peroxide will not damage the carpet fibers and does not need to be rinsed out.

After cleaning the carpet, it will be damp for a time, cover with a clean towel until dry then vacuum.

Cleaning up a wax stain can actually be a pretty simple problem to fix. As long as you act quickly and correctly, your carpet will look good as new.

If you are concerned about the spill or staining, you could call a professional carpet cleaner, but in most cases, it’s the perfect DIY cleaning job.

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