Want to create a warm and inviting ambiance? Candles are a perfect choice for a relaxing and soothing environment. But what if the beautiful candle centerpieces, lanterns, or wall sconces end up smudging your carpet with wax drippings, leading to hardened patches here and there?
While candles can elevate the living space and your mood, they can be an equal mess to clean up if the wax drippings stick to your carpet. Removing candle wax from carpet can be a tad toiling but with the right supplies and care, you can turn it into an effortless
You may face the trouble of removing dried or melted candle wax from the carpet. At times, you may also have limited supplies to work with. Keeping this in mind, easy hacks are shared to remove candle wax under different circumstances.
Table of Contents
Materials and Tools to Remove Candle Wax
The majority of tools required to remove wax from a carpet are the same as those required when removing wax from any surface such as glass, metal, or wood. We are quite sure you will already have the supplies at your place.
- Bag of Ice cubes
- Butter knife or any other blunt scraping tool
- Paper towel
- Iron
- Carpet cleaner or vinegar solution
- Cleaning sponge
- Vacuum cleaner
5 Steps to Clean Candle Wax Off Carpet
The steps required to clean candle wax off carpet are detailed as follows.
1) Harden the Wax
Although wax drippings on carpet harden on their own in no time, the purpose of placing a bag of ice cubes on the wax is to make it firmer and harder so that scraping off becomes easy. Therefore, place a bag of ice cubes over the carpet where the wax has dried up. This will speed up the hardening process.
2) Scrape the Wax
Once the wax has hardened enough, use a butter knife or any other blunt-end utensil to scrape the wax from the carpet. Be gentle while removing the wax otherwise it may damage the texture of your carpet.
Once the wax has hardened enough, use a butter knife or any other blunt-end utensil to scrape the wax from the carpet. Be gentle while removing the wax otherwise it may damage the texture of your carpet.
Try to remove as much wax as possible with this scraping method. If you are lucky enough to get rid of all of it, no heat application is required and you need to jump to the cleaning of the affected area.
If, however, there is some stubborn wax residue that doesn’t come off when scraped, move to step 3.
3) Removal of Residual Wax
There are two common methods to clean candle wax off carpet with the most popular home appliance.
Method 1: Removing Candle Wax Using Iron
Heat application for the removal of residual wax needs to be done with care, else it would burn or damage the carpet fibers. To do so, place a towel or cloth and place it over the carpet area where the remaining wax stands.
Set the iron on a low setting and let it warm. Once it reaches the adjusted temperature, place the hot iron over the towel and gently move it to and fro over the surface. This will cause the hardened wax to melt and the towel will absorb or remove it once it warms up.
Do not leave the iron standing on the towel for a longer time as it will burn or damage the carpet.
Method 2: Removing Candle Wax Without An Iron
If you desire to remove wax from carpet without an iron, you may use a hair dryer as a heat source and replacement for iron. The method is the same; place a towel on the affected area and blow heat from the dryer at a distance. Once the wax melts, the towel will take it all and you will get melted wax out of the carpet.
4) Clean Wax Stains Off Carpet
Candle wax stains can sometimes be stubborn and require a deep cleaning if the affected area is large. To remove such stains off carpet, you may consider two methods based on the availability at your place; one using a carpet cleaner and the other using vinegar solution.
Method 1: Use a Carpet Cleaner
Use a carpet cleaner that suits your carpet and is not too harsh. Apply a small amount of the cleaning solution onto a sponge, wet it with water to form lather, gently dab it over the stained area and rub it a little. Do not rub too hard as doing so might damage the carpet fibers.
Method 2: Use Vinegar Solution
Take equal parts vinegar and water and make a homogenous solution. Dip a sponge into it and gently rub it over the stained carpet. Repeat a couple of times if need be.
5) Vacuum Clean the Carpet
When you are done with all the cleaning work, vacuum clean the carpet to restore its neatness and fiber finish. Make sure the carpet is dry when you vacuum clean it and do not push too hard during the process.
5 Easy Steps to Get Dried Wax Out of Carpet
Dried candle wax is hardened or solidified which is why it will not flow and mess up the carpet area anymore. However, dried wax often clings hard on the carpet fibers and the removing job, if not carried out cautiously, may end up damaging the carpet fibers and texture.
Follow the steps outlined below to get dried wax out of your carpet;
Step 1: Scrape Wax Using a Butter Knife
When you see dried wax residue on your carpet, don’t wait too long to clean them.This is because the longer the wax stays on the carpet, the harder it becomes to get rid of it and the tougher the stains on the carpet.
Take a butter knife and scrape as much wax as you possibly can. Be gentle and do not pull out the carpet fibers.
Step 2: Remove Wax Residue by Applying Heat
If you see some residue in between the carpet fibers, it will become hard to detach. This will make scraping technique useless. In this case, you will need to melt the wax residue to detach it from the fibers.
To do so, place a paper towel over the carpet area and apply heat by either placing the iron or using a hair dryer. The wax will melt and stick to the towel. Repeat this process a couple of times to remove all the wax residue.
Step 3: Clean the Stains Off Carpet
To restore the texture and beauty of your carpet after removing the wax residue, a thorough cleanup is recommended. It is advisable to use specialized carpet cleaners that are mild and do not damage the fibers. Blot the stains by dipping a sponge in a mixture of one tablespoon carpet cleaner and a cup of water.
Repeat the dabbing process until the stains get removed. Wait for the carpet to dry. You may also vacuum clean the carpet to deep clean the area.
While cleaning the stains, it is recommended to try a small patch to check whether a particular carpet cleaner works and does not cause any discoloration.
4 Simple Steps to Get Melted Wax Out of Carpet
Wax drippings from wall sconces, lanterns, etc. are in a molten state in the initial few minutes as they fall. If you are quick to see the mess they are causing, instantly act to remove the melted wax out of the carpet.
The easiest way to get melted wax out of carpet is to let it dry and harden first. Using any scraping tool directly will make your carpet area messier. The following steps can serve a guide for you;
Step 1: Harden the Wax
To solidify molten wax, you may either use a bag of ice cubes or wait for a few minutes for the wax to harden. Using the former technique will be more helpful in hardening the wax.
Step 2: Scrape Off the Wax Using a Scarper
Take a plastic scraper or a butter knife and gently pull the wax patches from the carpet. If you see large chunks or patches of wax, break them into smaller pieces and then detach them using a scraping tool.
Step 3: Clean the Wax Residue
Depending upon the texture of your carpet fibers, you may or may not end up with wax residue after scraping. In case you see some wax residue that clings hard to the carpet, melt it using a hair dryer.
Place a cloth or towel on the carpet, blow heat from a distance and allow the wax to melt. Repeat the process until you get rid of all the residue.
Step 4: Spot Clean the Carpet
Clean the stains to restore the beauty of your carpet. Preferably go for specialized carpet cleaners as already discussed. Dab the cleaning solution over the stained areas using a sponge or cloth. Repeat until no stain remains on your carpet and let it dry.
Try Wax Removal Now!
Candle wax residues on carpets can be hard to get rid of but with the right tools and techniques, the task can be made easier. So, stop fretting over wax spills and take action with our expert tips to make your carpet look pristine!
