How to Remove Candle Wax
Cleaning Dried Wax from Wood, Glass and Stone Surfaces.
Removing Candle Wax from a Variety of Surfaces
Candles are used for many occasions or just the warm cozy glow and ambiance of them being lit around us and it just so happens to be a very common situation to have problems with spilled wax.
If this waxy situation happens to you, the good news is, candle wax can be removed. With a little patience and know how, no one will ever know you spilled wax – anywhere.
Materials Needed for Removing Candle Wax
Below are some of the materials you may need for removing candle wax from various surfaces. Try to avoid using a metal or sharp knife as these things could scratch a surface.
- Ice pack or ice in a place baggie.
- Hair Dryer
- Paper towels or brown bag
- Dull item such as: plastic putty knife, butter knife or something similar to a credit card.
- Vacuum
- Microfiber cloth or soft cleaning rags
Can Candle Wax be Cleaned Before it Hardens?
There are some surfaces that are much easier to wipe up freshly spilled wax than others. You’ll still have a little work to do but it can be done. Most people will just wait for the wax to completely harden (because it really doesn’t take that long for wax to harden) then take steps to remove spilled wax.
If you spill wax on a decorative plate, counter, glass table, hard surface floor and get to it immediately, you can wipe up much of the wax before it hardens. Just be careful you don’t spread it around as your wiping it up with a paper towel. There will be a little wax residue left behind that you can scrape up with a dull object. When finished, clean the surface as you normally would.
How to Remove Dried Candle Wax from a Wood Surface
After the wax has completely hardened, which won’t take long naturally or you can speed it up a bit by placing ice cubes in a lunch baggie, then you’ll want to use your dull edged item to carefully lift the wax.
Clean up any leftover bits of wax with the vacuum’s upholstery attachment or a microfiber cloth. Some wooden surfaces are not completely smooth, some have grooves so a hair dryer can work nicely.
Set the hair dryer to a medium setting and heat the remaining wax until it melts then wipe away with a paper towel. Repeat as needed then clean and polish the surface as usual.
Removing Dried Wax from a Glass Surface
Once again, remove hardened wax from the glass surface and wipe away any remaining bits of the dried wax. We’ll use the hair dryer again to remove the waxy residue. Heat the wax until it melts, carefully wipe it up and repeat until gone.
Clean the glass surface with your glass cleaner or you can use the recipe below to make your own:
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup rubbing alcohol
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
If you don’t have the rubbing alcohol, you can use a 50/50 mix white vinegar and water. Put the cleaner in a spray bottle.
Removing Dried Wax from Natural Stone Surfaces
For removing dried wax from natural stone surfaces (like marble or granite), we’ll use a different approach. Not the hair dryer. Natural stone surfaces might be heat resistant but the sealants used for the glossy look or the fact they are resistant to oil and water – not so much.
- Place ice cubes in a plastic baggie until wax is completely hardened and brittle.
- Using your dull edged item, slide this under the wax to work it loose. Try and get as large a piece as you can. Repeat as needed.
- Apply a mild or gentle pH neutral dish detergent or something like gentle Dove hand soap to a warm damp microfiber cloth.
- Gently clean the area then remove any soapy residue with a soft cloth and regular water and dry.
- Clean with your stone cleaner and buff.
Do not clean these surfaces with vinegar as the vinegar is slightly acidic and can damage the stone surface.
Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to remove candle wax from a variety of surfaces. For more wax removal tips, check out these articles:
