How to remove candle wax from various types of fabrics. How to remove candle wax from clothes, the best solutions
Every person in the apartment has a few candles, at least in case the lights go out. Some boast beautiful antique candlesticks. How not to love them? After all, candles come in all sorts, shapes, colors and scents - which is a definite plus, in our opinion.
Candles make great gifts and the perfect solution to unwind after a busy day. As experienced cleaning professionals, we know how to remove candle wax better than most people. Problems happen, but we're here to make things as easy as possible for you.
We will tell you how to remove candle wax from any surface. A drop of wax on the carpet? Easily. Need to remove wax from clothes? No problems. Candle wax on a granite countertop? Let's delete. A stain of dyed wax? Let's get it out forever. Candle wax on wood? We'll get it out without a single scratch. Wax on the wall? Removed in 10 minutes. Wax on glass? Easiest to clean up. The most difficult wax stains to remove? They don't stand a chance.
In the next article, we will look at removing wax from any surface.
How to remove candle wax from clothes
Note: Do not attempt to dry clothes in an electric dryer until you are sure the stain is gone.
Before removing a wax stain from clothing, allow it to harden first. If you try to remove hot candle wax, you will likely let it soak deeper into the fabric of your clothes, making it difficult to work with. Here are some effective solutions for getting candle wax out of clothes.
Once the wax has hardened (you can put the garment in the refrigerator or freezer if you want to speed up the process), remove it from the garment with a flat tool, such as a spatula or butter knife. In most cases, all you have to do is fold the cloth over the very edge of the wax stain, and you can then pick off the wax quickly and easily.
Lay the fabric over something absorbent. Make sure the absorbent you choose won't cause the fabric to fade or stain.
Suitable funds:
- piece of cardboard
- brown paper bags
- Several layers of white paper towels
- An old cotton towel you are ready to throw away
We prefer to use brown or white cardstock and paper bags so you don't have to worry about staining the fabric. Turn on the iron on medium temperature settings, turn off the steam. Place another absorbent pad on top of the stain. The fabric is now sandwiched between two absorbent articles. Place the preheated iron on the top sheet of absorbent material and swirl the iron quickly and continuously so as not to burn the fabric.
Slightly move the absorbent sheet occasionally so that there is a clean spot of absorbent material above the stain, so the absorbent properties of the material will not be dulled.
Removing wax residue from fabric
Many of us use colored candles that match our apartment's home décor. In this case, after removing the wax, stains of the dye may remain on the fabric. Just like wax, dye cannot be removed with water, these are complex stains that require a different approach. Below you will find methods for removing wax dye from fabric:
Boiling treatment. If the fabric can handle this solution (check the manufacturer's recommendation label). Stretch the fabric over the pot of water, use a large rubber band or string to secure the fabric. Pour boiling water over the painted area. You may need to repeat this solution once or twice until you get results.
Alcohol treatment. Place a towel under the stained area, then pour some rubbing alcohol onto the stain. Blot with a clean cloth, paper towel. The dye should come off. Continue soaking until the stain is completely removed.
Dishwashing liquid. Use a mild detergent to remove the stain, you can get it by using dishwashing detergent. Apply a small amount to the painted area. Gently rub the detergent into the stain until you see the dye rising from the fibers of the fabric. Rinse and repeat until the stain is gone.
Hydrogen peroxide. Another remedy is to remove candle wax from clothing or wax residue. This is our favorite natural anti-blemish solution. Peroxide is inexpensive, you can buy a bottle for less than 50 rubles in most stores and pharmacies.
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing (bleaching) agent that is safe for colored fabrics and does not harm them as bleach does.
Hydrogen peroxide is essentially the same water, but without one molecule. It works for about 45 minutes, even dissolved in water. However, peroxide breaks down almost instantly in direct sunlight, which is why it is sold in dark brown bottles.
There is an important trick here, because hydrogen peroxide turns into plain water, it leaves no residue, so you won't need to wash or rinse.
Place a piece of plastic wrap under the stain. Pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain. Cover the top with plastic wrap and then mark the towel to keep the peroxide out of the light while it works on the stain. Leave the peroxide on the fabric for at least an hour, then check. Repeat if necessary.
Removing candle wax from carpet
Removing wax from carpet may seem like a daunting task, but the process is the same as with fabric, often just as effective.
Cleaning with an iron
To remove candle wax that has caponed onto carpeting, let it harden first. If there is too much wax, you can put a few ice cubes in a plastic bag and place it on top of the wax, this will help the wax harden, making it brittle and allowing you to remove the excess wax. Try to remove as much wax as possible, as much as possible, for best results. Next, use the absorbent materials and iron method we gave for clothes above.
Removing wax stains from carpet
If your carpet is stained with stained wax, here are a few solutions you can try before thinking about rearranging your furniture to cover up the stain.
When it comes to dye stains, you should use acids to remove acid stains and alkaline stains should be removed with alkaline cleaners. Most, if not all, dyes are alkaline, and baking soda becomes the most suitable solution in this case.
Baking soda
A baking soda solution should help with most dye stains. The baking soda will also help remove residual odor. Make a baking soda paste by mixing 1/4 cup baking soda with 3/4 cup hot water. Mix thoroughly in a clear container until most of the baking soda has been diluted with water (a little hard sediment will remain at the bottom anyway).
Strain the rest of the water through a filter, which you can use a napkin or something similar. This solution will also help you get rid of the solids in the mixture.
Apply the solution to the paint stain and gently rub it into the carpet fibers to make the stain wet with the solution. Leave the solution for an hour. After an hour, check the solution, it should be almost dry.
Remove the dry part of the solution, then rinse the residue with clean water and continue wiping until the stain is gone. Let the work area dry and vacuum thoroughly.
Hydrogen peroxide
Again, follow the instructions given for clothing above. Let the peroxide dry and repeat if necessary.
Removing candle wax from wood
We hope that the wax stain will be noticed immediately and cleaned up immediately. You have to get to it and remove the wax when it's warm enough to stay flexible, but not hot enough to burn you.
If you don't notice the problem right away, removing the candle wax from the wood becomes more difficult because you have to be careful not to scratch the finish, meaning you can't use a knife or other tool that can scratch the wood.
If the stain cannot be removed, the paintwork may need to be sanded and repainted. If you cannot decide or are not confident in your abilities, you should turn to professionals.
Cooling and gentle removal:
Useful advice. You can use a playing card to remove the wax, this solution may help.
Place a few ice cubes in a plastic bag. Place an ice pack on top of the wax to cool, which will make it hard and brittle. Use a playing card or something similar to remove the wax from the surface of the wood.
Heating with a hair dryer
Use a hair dryer on a low or medium temperature setting for wax residue. Lay the area around the stain with rags or paper towels to protect the paintwork. This solution will also help prevent wax from being sprayed onto bare wood. Continue until all wax residue is removed. If some wax remains because it has soaked into the wood, you can try some of the methods above.
Absorbents and iron
Place a paper bag or a few paper towels over the leftover candle wax stain. Use an iron on a low heat setting to heat the stain (detailed above). Wipe the affected area of wood with a lint-free cloth or some sort of furniture polish.
Removing candle wax from walls
Use the method mentioned above. Use a hair dryer to melt the wax and blot it up with paper towels. Have someone help you to keep the wax from dripping and wipe off immediately. If there is any colored residue left on the wall, try using a pencil eraser or a paste of baking soda and water (1:3). Lightly rub the wall to avoid damaging the paint.
Wax on a glass table
Well, if the wax stain remains on the glass, it's the easiest surface to clean. Start by freezing with ice, let the wax harden. Remove hardened wax with a playing card. Spray on some window cleaner, then wipe off any remaining wax. You can also try thinner to remove the last, thinnest layer of wax from the glass.
Removing wax from granite countertops
Use a plastic spatula (card) and boiling water. Boil water in a saucepan, dip a spatula into hot water and, without allowing it to cool, remove a layer of wax. Repeat several times until most of the wax has been removed. Wipe with a clean cloth to remove any residue.
The hardest wax stains
There are specialized products for removing candle wax (such as Un-Do Candle Wax Remover) that are very effective at removing wax stains. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to remove the wax from the affected surface.
Now that you know how to properly remove wax from any surface, you can enjoy your favorite candles without worrying about wax stains.
Wax stains cannot be removed from fabrics by simply washing clothes with laundry detergent. This is due to the fact that, due to the peculiar structure, the wax does not dissolve in warm water and detergents. But going to a dry cleaner to remove such a stain is not necessary at all. There are several ways how and with what you can remove wax from clothes at home. Which one will be optimal depends on the type of fabric from which the item is made.
Cotton and linen
The easiest way to remove a wax stain is from linen or cotton (primarily cotton calico). To do this, you need a thin cotton cloth, an iron heated to 50-70˚ C and paper napkins.
How to remove wax from cotton and linen candles:
- Place several layers of paper towels under the stained areas, cover the stains with a cotton cloth on top.
- Iron the places where there are dirt several times with a hot iron. The wax will melt and soak into the napkins and cotton fabric. Repeat the procedure several times until the stains completely disappear, replacing the napkins and cloth with clean ones.
Advice! Very small spots of wax can be removed with a spoon heated in boiling water: just scrape off the dirt with it!
Unpretentious care fabrics of natural origin are easy to clean from wax stains in another way: using boiling water.
How to remove dye-free wax from cotton, linen and other undemanding fabrics:
- Pour water into a large container and bring to a boil.
- Dip the cloth in boiling water for a few seconds.
- When spots of melted wax appear on the surface of the water, remove the cloth and inspect it. If the contamination is not completely removed, repeat the procedure.
- Wash the item in warm water with soap, then rinse first in warm and then in cold water.
The two described methods cannot be used if the wax contains a dye, since under the influence of high temperature it will penetrate deep into the fibers of the material, and it will be impossible to remove it from there.
Advice! Use a stain remover to remove dyed wax stains.
Wax stains from denim (denim) are removed in the same way as from cotton or linen: by ironing the place of contamination with a hot iron through cotton fabric.
How to get out of jeans with unstable staining:
- Place the product in the freezer for approximately two hours.
- Frozen wax will crumble easily if you rub it with your hands, as you would when washing.
- Iron the remaining dirt with a hot iron through a cotton cloth, placing paper napkins under the stain.
- Wash off residue as usual.
Synthetics
Clothing made of synthetic materials deteriorates under the influence of high temperatures, so it is strictly forbidden to lower it into boiling water or iron it with a hot iron. Look at the label, which indicates the permissible temperature for ironing and washing.
How to remove regular wax from synthetic fabric:
- Soak the product in hot (not higher than 50˚ C) clean water.
- Once the wax is soft, gently blot it with a tissue or cloth.
- Wash the clothes as usual, in the washing machine or by hand, with detergent - this will remove the remaining dirt.
To clean items made of organza and other delicate fabrics, the ironing of which is prohibited by the manufacturer, do not use elevated temperatures. To remove wax stains from such products, use an organic solvent:
- Apply the product to a cotton pad and rub it on the contaminated area.
- Wash the item with detergent and rinse well.
Advice! Before using an organic solvent, test it on an inconspicuous area of clothing. If the structure of matter or its color has changed, then use a special stain remover.
Wool and silk
To remove wax from silk and wool fabrics, a regular dishwashing detergent is suitable:
- Apply a few drops of the product to the dirt, lather and leave for five or six hours.
- Wash item and rinse thoroughly.
How to remove colored wax from synthetics, silk, wool, organza
If it gets on delicate fabrics paraffin or wax with a dye in the composition, then the above methods for removing contaminants will not work. The paint, under the action of friction (if you try to rub it off) or temperature, will penetrate even deeper into the fibers.
For this reason, a suitable way to get rid of paraffin or wax is to pre-freeze:
- Put the item in the freezer for several hours.
- Frozen wax gently scrape off the surface of the fabric.
- Treat the stained area with a stain remover.
- Wash the product as usual.
Fur, suede, leather
Fur clothing is demanding to care for, but there are ways to remove wax stains from it.
How to remove a stain from fur:
- Place the fur product in the freezer for half an hour.
- Crumble the frozen wax, shake off and remove with your fingers from the bottom up.
For suede items, you can use a hot iron, but it is forbidden to keep it on the surface of the material for a long time, as gloss and dents will appear. Cover the stain with a paper towel and apply a hot iron to it for a few seconds. If this method is ineffective, use the ammonia solution in one of the following ways.
How to get wax out of suede:
- Combine 50 ml of gasoline with 10 ml of ethyl alcohol and 35 ml of ammonia (or dilute 1/2 tsp of ammonia in one liter of water).
- Soak a cotton pad in the mixture (or solution) and apply it to the contaminated area for one minute.
- Wipe the cloth with a clean, damp cloth.
Advice! The structure of suede will be restored after processing if you hold the material over steam.
It is easiest to clean clothes made of artificial or genuine leather from wax stains. Hold the item in the cold so that the contamination freezes, then fold the stained area in half. The wax will crack and the residue will be easy to remove with your fingers. The remaining oily stain from the skin will be removed with a cotton pad dipped in ammonia, turpentine or acetone.
Unstable fabric staining
For products with unstable staining, methods that work effectively when removing wax with a dye in the composition are suitable.
How to withdraw:
- Put the item in the freezer for about 2 hours.
- Crumble the stain by rubbing it with your hands.
- Sprinkle chalk or talc on the contaminated area (they act as absorbents), cover with a paper towel on top.
- Place a heavy object on top of the napkin, such as a cast iron skillet or pot of water. Leave for 2 or 3 hours.
- Remove chalk or talc with a brush.
- Wash the product to remove any remaining absorbent.
How to remove wax stains
After removing the wax, greasy stains often remain on the clothes. The following tools will help remove them:
- acetone;
- kerosene;
- turpentine;
- solvent;
- ammonia;
- detergents;
- dishwashing liquid.
After treatment with one of the above means, the matter should dry well, after which it will need to be washed.
Advice! Remove wax stains immediately. After a few days, it will be extremely difficult or even impossible to etch the pollution.
- Do not try to scrub or wash off the wax once it has dripped from the candle. Blot with a napkin or light-colored cloth to absorb the liquid component. Let the residues harden and only after that proceed with active actions.
- Remove the stain from the edges to the center. This will prevent the spread of contamination to nearby areas.
- If the wax is colored, then in no case do not heat it. It is also impossible to use a solvent as a stain remover. Freezing is the best way to remove colored wax.
- To prevent damage to the material, first test the effect of the product used on an inconspicuous area.
- Candles are made of a material that has a greasy, dense structure, for this reason it will not be possible to remove stains from them through ordinary washing.
Often, paraffin stains clothes during depilation. It will be possible to remove such pollution in a very short time using the following recipe:
- Put a few drops of vegetable oil on the stain.
- Leave the oil on for 2-3 minutes to soak into the stained area.
- Remove the wax with dishwashing detergent.
It is a good idea to soak cotton pads in vegetable oil and wipe the stained areas on the fabric several times.
Proceed carefully and in stages, and wax stains will no longer be a problem.
How to remove wax from furniture and glass
How to remove wax from furniture
It is best to clean furniture from wax when it has not yet had time to harden. If it was not possible to notice the stain immediately, then it will be much more difficult to wipe it off without damaging the furniture.
Here are the most effective methods for removing wax from furniture:
- cooling. To do this, put an ice pack on it. Then carefully remove the wax with a sheet of thick cardboard or an unnecessary plastic card. After cooling, the wax becomes brittle and is much easier to remove;
- the heating. This method is suitable if the wax mark is small. Place a paper towel on it and heat it up with a hair dryer or iron. It is important that the minimum or average temperature is set. This way you won't damage the paintwork. Melted wax can be easily removed with a lint-free cloth.
So you can get rid of the stain if it is on a wooden surface. If the wax has dripped onto the fleecy surface of the furniture, then you can try to steam it off and remove it with a special brush. When it is not possible to completely wipe the stain, you should contact the professionals.
How to remove wax from glass
When the wax is still hot, it can be easily removed with a regular cloth. And to eliminate the oily sheen, the glass is wiped with soapy water.
If the wax has already hardened, then its removal will take place in several stages:
- carefully cut off most of the stain with a knife as close to the glass as possible. Make sure that the knife does not leave scratches on the surface. If the stain is very small, skip this step;
- Remaining stains can be disposed of by freezing. If possible, place the soiled item in the freezer for half an hour. Then remove the wax with a plastic spatula.
If the dimensions do not allow freezing the thing, use another method. Heat up the stain with a hair dryer. As soon as it starts to melt, pat it dry with a paper towel. Repeat the procedure until the stain is completely gone. The process is quite long, but there will be no trace of the stain. Clean the cleaned surface with a solvent or soap solution.
There are candles in every household: they are stored in case of a power outage, a romantic evening or aromatherapy. Drops of wax sometimes fall on your favorite clothes. It is urgent to save the fabric if it is dirty, but dry cleaning is an expensive pleasure. Housewives know how to remove wax from clothes with improvised means - every woman at least once removed the remnants of melted paraffin. There are two ways to remove stains: cold and hot. Let's figure out how to get rid of oily wax stains.
Wax on fabric: what you need to know
Before deciding how to remove wax from fabric, let's listen to the advice.
Most candles are made from paraffin wax, a colorless, odorless, fatty substance produced by a chemical process. The examples given are primarily concerned with paraffinic products.
- Before removing wax from clothing, test the cleaning agent on a sample of the same fabric or on an inconspicuous piece of soiled clothing. There are varieties of synthetics that dissolve with gasoline. It is used in one of the ways to remove wax.
- Pay attention to the fabric: only knowing exactly the characteristics of the material, choose the right cleaning method. If you are not sure - use the services of dry cleaning. Professionals know how to remove wax from clothes. Otherwise, the company will reimburse the damages for the damaged item.
- It is easier to get rid of colorless paraffin. Colored candles leave colored spots, so they require a different approach. The dye is absorbed into the fabric and is more difficult to wash. Help remove wax from fabric household chemicals.
- Paraffin eats into the fabric and leaves greasy traces of wax drops on clothes. Remove them with gasoline and alcohol.
- Fabrics that require careful handling and synthetics should not be heated too much. When working with delicate material, the aesthetic appearance will suffer, and synthetic fibers will spread. How to remove stains in such a situation? In both cases, a chemical is used to remove the wax. facilities.
- It is convenient to get rid of paraffin by heating. Wax that has not had time to harden is quickly blotted with a soft cloth.
- Another way is to freeze so that the contamination hardens, and the paraffin can be easily removed.
Wax cleaning of different types of fabrics
Before removing wax from clothes, you should determine the type of fabric. The least susceptible to the effects of a melted candle is the skin, it is easy to remove paraffin from it. Leather clothes are wrinkled, crumbs of hardened wax are removed by shaking. If the stain from the candle has eaten into the material, then laundry soap will cope with the greasy stain: you just need to wipe the problem area of the leather material with a moistened piece, and then wash it with water. Other fabrics require a more detailed analysis of methods than removing candle wax from clothes.
- Denim is the least of the worries - wax contamination is easy to get rid of. We freeze the material, clean the wax. Then it remains with the help of napkins and an iron to remove the remnants of the candle.
- Synthetic materials (organza, wool, silk, satin, chiffon) are afraid of overheating. The garment label indicates the maximum wash temperature. Be gentle and leave the material in hot water for a short time. Removal of wax stains will effectively continue washing.
- If delicate fabrics that are forbidden to be ironed are damaged, we clean the wax with an organic solvent. Treat the problematic piece of clothing with a cotton swab with the substance, then wash the item in warm water and rinse until clean.
- Fur items that have been dripped with wax can be cleaned by placing them in the freezer and shaking off the hardened pieces of paraffin.
- The suede fabric is covered with a paper towel and heated with an iron for a few seconds. A solution that can be used to clean such stains: ammonia (35 ml), wine alcohol (10 ml) and gasoline (50 ml). An alternative recipe is an aqueous solution of ammonia. Dip the cotton wool and treat the affected area of suede for a minute. Then wipe the clothes with a damp cloth. Hold over the steam to restore the structure.
How to remove a wax stain from clothes made of cotton, calico, linen and other natural fabrics? 1. Clean off the top layer of dirt with a knife or spoon; 2. Place a cotton towel underneath the fabric; 3. Cover the material with a paper towel; 4. From above, walk with an iron (50 -70 ° C). The melted paraffin will adhere to the material. It may be necessary to carry out the procedure repeatedly, but as a result, the clothes will be saved.
Get rid of grease stains
It is not enough to know how to remove wax from clothes; it is necessary to properly clean the fabric from traces of a melted candle. Paraffin leaves greasy stains that spoil the appearance of the material. If hot and cold methods were not enough, here are a few more ways to remove wax and grease stains from fabric:
- Liquid dishwashing detergent is something that can be used to wipe off grease easily. Gently rub the liquid into the damaged piece of clothing, leave for a couple of hours, and then rinse with water. The stain will disappear and the fabric will be saved.
- And here's how to remove stains with boiling water. Take a pot of hot water and place the material over the container in a taut state. Fix the fabric, water the contaminated area with boiling water. Repeat the process and the wax stain will be gone.
- Dampen a piece of cloth with alcohol or benzene. Then gently scrub the stains from the candle. It will be possible to both remove wax from clothes and remove greasy traces of paraffin.
- Treat stained clothing with hydrogen peroxide and cover with a plastic bag. Hide in the closet. After an hour, you will be pleased with the result.
Be careful when cleaning material. Knowing how to get a candle stain out of your clothes will save you money on dry cleaning services and save your favorite item. Chemicals will come in handy - from dishwashing liquid to special stain removers. Consider the type of material and the possible effect of exposure to heating, cooling and chemicals. So you will return your favorite thing to an aesthetic appearance - there will be no trace of stains. Now, with skill, you can give advice to your friends on how to remove a stain from wax that has accidentally dripped onto clothes.
Melted wax that gets on your clothes can leave greasy marks on it, which are not so easy to remove for an unprepared person. Some try to scrape off the wax on their own, others take the damaged item to the dry cleaners, others simply shove it away in the closet or throw it away. If you happen to be in a similar situation - do not despair, the information below will help you quickly and easily remove the wax, and after that there will not even be a trace of it left.
To carry out wax removal work, you will need:- iron;
- paper napkin;
- a small piece of clean cloth.