How to Get Wax out of Fabrics and Carpet

Pre-Treating the Area

Let the wax dry completely. When you knock over a candle or get wax on the carpet, your clothes, or another piece of fabric, you must give the wax time to dry before you can clean it. Otherwise, you risk pushing the wax deeper into the fibers if you try to wipe it up when it’s wet. Wax doesn’t take long to dry. For small amounts, the wax will be dry in a couple of minutes. For larger spills, you may have to way 15 to 20 minutes. To speed up the process, apply an ice cube to the affected area to dry the wax faster.

Scrape up the excess. When the wax is dry, use a butter knife or spoon to scrape the wax and break it up. Pick up any large pieces that flake off and throw them in the garbage. Avoid spreading the loose wax flakes around as much as possible, as this could make cleanup more difficult. On fabric, peel the fabric away from the back of the wax to dislodge the larger pieces.

Vacuum the area. When you're removing wax from a rug or carpet, vacuum the area thoroughly to suck up any pieces or flakes of wax that you scraped off. This will prevent wax from melting into the carpet in a larger area when you go to remove it. Instead of vacuuming fabrics, take the material outside and shake it out to remove loose wax pieces.

Test the area for heat sensitivity. The easiest way to remove wax from fabrics and carpeting is with an iron, but only if the material can withstand the heat. Set an iron to low and let it preheat. Once hot, apply the iron to an inconspicuous area of the fabric or carpet for 30 seconds. Remove the iron and inspect for damage, melting, or warping. During the test, remove the iron immediately if the carpet or material starts to smoke, smells like burning, or begins to melt.

Removing the Wax

Cover the wax with paper towel. Grab two pieces of paper towel and lay the double layer on top of the wax spill. For moveable carpets, rugs, and fabrics, place two sheets of paper towel on the underside of the spill as well. When you heat the wax, the paper towels will absorb it. You can also use a single layer of a white or brown paper bag if you don’t have paper towel. Just make sure there's no ink, wax, or printing on the bag. You can also use blotting paper, which is an absorbent material meant to soak up oil and other liquids. Transfer paper also works well for this.

Heat the area with an iron. Turn an iron on to the low temperature setting and wait for it to heat up. When the iron is hot, press it gently into the paper towel where the wax is. Move the iron slowly from side to side to warm the area. As the wax heats and re-melts, the paper towel will absorb it. Don’t use steam settings to heat the wax, as it will soak the paper towel and prevent it from absorbing the wax. You can use this method to remove wax from carpeting, leather, faux leather, denim, suede, micro suede, and other materials.

Use a blow dryer instead. For materials that didn’t pass the heat test, use a blow dryer on the hot setting to heat the wax. Hold the blow dryer 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the carpet. Direct the hot air at the wax spill and apply gentle pressure to the paper towel with your other hand. You may have to use the blow dryer instead of the iron for materials that can melt, such as synthetics like polyester, faux fur materials, and other polymer-based fabrics.

Replace the paper towels as needed until the area is clean. As the paper towels becomes saturated with wax, replace the sheets above and below the material with fresh sheets. This will allow the wax to continue absorbing, and prevent it from spreading to a larger area. Continue heating the wax with the iron, saturating the paper towels, and replacing the paper towels until the towels stop absorbing wax. Feel free to dab or scrape any leftover wax with a plastic spatula.

Wash the area. For machine washable fabrics like clothing and table cloths, treat the area with a stain remover and then launder it in the washing machine. For non-washable materials like carpeting, spray the area with carpet cleaner and blot it with a clean cloth until the area is clean and dry. After you remove the wax from the area, there may still be colorant or residue left on the material, and that’s why washing is necessary.

Preventing Wax Spills

Use candle holders. Wax spills often occur when lit candles aren't secured properly and fall over. You can prevent this from happening by using candle holders that are the appropriate size for the candle you're burning. Holders are especially important with taper candles, the tall skinny candles, that aren't designed to stand up on their own. If you're burning a taper candle that’s slightly small for the holder, wrap the base of the candle with aluminum foil before inserting it into the holder.

Place candles on plates. This will protect the table and tablecloth underneath from wax spills and runoff. You can use a ceramic plate, aluminum pie plate, or other flat dish. This is especially important with votive and pillar candles that don’t necessarily need candle holders. A protective base is also important with taper candles, because wax can drip off the side of the candle holder and onto the surface below.

Keep candles away from edges. Candles that are too close to a table edge or ledge are a risk for being knocked over. Not only will this spill wax on carpeting and other materials, but it’s also a fire hazard. When burning candles, place them in the center of a large table to prevent accidents.

Don’t move lit candles. A lit or recently lit candle will have liquid wax on the top of the candle, and this is very easy to spill. To prevent this from happening, it is imperative that you do not to move a candle once it’s lit, and to always give candles plenty of time to cool down after you blow them out. Choose your candle placement wisely before you light it to avoid having to move it when the wax is hot.

Remove rugs before using hair removal wax. Hot hair removal wax is another type of wax that can cause spills on fabrics and carpets. To prevent this, always use the wax in an uncarpeted area of the house, such as a bathroom. If there are any area rugs in the bathroom, move them out of the room before you melt the wax.