How to Remove Candle Wax from Just About Anything

So your guests are four cocktails in, and all of a sudden those ambiance-enhancing candles you lit have become more of a hazard than a help. Wax spills all over your linen tablecloth and perhaps makes its way onto your rug and hardwood floors. You’re probably wondering how to remove candle wax from all these places now. Fortunately, with some patience, elbow grease, and a little knowledge, you can remove wax from just about everything.

Here’s how to remove candle wax from just about any area (or surface, or fabric) in your home. Good luck!

Place several sheets of paper towels over the wax you want to lift off the wall. Warm your iron to the lowest setting and, working in short intervals, run the iron over the paper towels. The wax should transfer to the paper towels. You can also use a hair dryer; wipe off the excess wax as it melts.

First of all, don’t rub it in — that will only succeed in spreading it around. Instead, freeze the wax using an ice cube and then scrape it away with an old butter knife or similar tool. After scraping away all you can, you may need to go back with a little Goo Gone to remove the rest. Afterward, wash the brick with warm, soapy water.

Use a blow dryer to soften the wax, and then wipe it away with a soft cloth. Resist the temptation to chip away at the wax. This can damage the wood or finish.

To remove candle wax from carpet, place a paper bag over the wax. Put your iron on a low heat setting and run it over the bag on the waxy spot. The wax will be absorbed by the paper.

Take a two-step approach. First, put the fabric in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then remove the fabric and scrape off the cold wax. Lastly, use the warm iron and paper bag method to remove the wax stain from the fabric.

Finish it off by applying a little straight laundry detergent directly to the stain and washing as directed. If the wax leaves a particularly noticeable stain, you can also treat it with stain-remover if the fabric is washable.

If the wax is on the tips of the hair, place them in hot water to melt the wax. If closer to the root or on short hair, massage olive oil into the hair to help loosen the wax.

Use a credit card or other plastic scraper to remove the wax. Use boiling water to loosen the wax, if necessary.

The easiest way to remove candle wax from small items, like a candle holder, is to place them in the freezer. Once the item is cold, remove it from the freezer and tap off the cold wax.

Your best bet here is to use the ice cube method to harden the wax and try to pop it off in one piece. If it’s especially stubborn, try Goo Gone or mineral spirits. And maybe consider keeping your candles away from electronics — just for good measure.

Re-edited from a post originally published 1.25.12 – AL