Tips for Removing Candle Wax Stains

Keeping carpets clean and free of stains is never easy – especially when you have pets, kids, dinner parties, or game nights where even adults have accidents. And then there are those quiet nights alone with candlelight. It’s relaxing – until you accidentally spill hot wax onto the floor. Suddenly, removing candle wax stains from carpet becomes your next big challenge. Candle wax hardens quickly, making it tricky to clean from carpet fibers. Since it’s water-resistant, using a water-based cleaner or regular detergent won’t help much and can actually make things worse. When the wax is hot, it seeps deep into the carpet faster than many other stains. Pouring hot water on it may seem like a good idea, but it will likely drive the wax even deeper into the fibers – definitely not what you want. Below are some steps that you can to follow:

Lift the Candle Wax

If you can work fast enough before the wax hardens and is still a little soft, you should be able to carefully scrape some wax up with a dull butter knife or something similar. Be careful not to pull on the carpet fibers.

Freeze the Wax

Next fill a plastic bag with ice cubes and place it over the remaining wax spill. Let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will allow it to harden and make the next step of lifting the wax a bit easier.

Lift the Wax Again and Vacuum

Now that the wax is frozen, again, use the butter knife to carefully scrape up as much of the wax as you can. Be careful that you are not too rough that you damage the carpet fibers. When you have scraped up all you can, vacuum the area.

Apply Heat to the Remaining Wax

Place white paper towel or a brown paper bag over the remaining wax. Heat your iron until it is warm, not overly hot. Try a low setting first. Run the iron over the paper towel or bag to gently melt the wax and transfer it to the material you are using. Keep the iron moving so as not to burn the material. As the wax starts to transfer to the towel or bag, be sure to move to a clean section. Continue this step until you have removed the wax.

If Any Candle Wax Stain Remains

If there is any color from the wax remaining on the carpet, use a clean white cloth and apply isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and gently dab the stain until color is removed. Switch to a clean area of cloth if needed. If any color still remains after dabbing with isopropyl alcohol then add a small amount to a clean cloth, cover stained area and let sit for 30 minutes then dab again.

Removing Candle Wax Stains from Carpet

There are a few other methods to try when removing candle wax stains from carpet. These methods should be tried after you have lifted what wax you can. Note: Do not use products such as gasoline or paint thinner on the carpet.

• You can often use dry cleaning solvent to work on candle wax. To do this, just apply a small amount of it to the area of the stain and then blot it up with a clean sponge or paper towel.
• If there is any type of dye left in the carpet, you can try a using hydrogen peroxide. Just test in an inconspicuous spot first for colorfastness.
• Some stains from candle wax will leave an oily residue. If this happens, remove all the wax that you can as directed above. Then, apply a layer of baking soda to the area. Allow this to sit for several hours. The baking soda will pull the moisture out of the carpet, then vacuum the carpet to remove the baking soda.
• If all else fails, contact your local professional carpet cleaning company to help remove the stain.

Related Articles

Candle Wax Stain Removal Tips