Removing candle wax – from tablecloths, carpets and clothes
Difficulty: Easy · Time: approx. 30 minutes
A cosy evening, one tipped-over candle – and the wax is in the tablecloth, the carpet or your favourite jumper. The most important rule first: don't rub it while it's wet! That only pushes the wax deeper into the fibres.
With the right sequence of cold and heat you can get almost any wax stain out again: let it harden first, then lift off the bulk and iron out the rest. Only the dye in coloured candles sometimes needs an extra round.
What you'll need
- Ice cubes in a freezer bag
- Spoon or blunt knife
- Iron
- Blotting paper or kitchen paper
- Gall soap or stain remover spray (for coloured wax residue)
- Optional: carpet cleaner
Step by step
- 1
Let the wax harden completely
Let the wax go completely hard before you do anything. A bag of ice cubes on the stain speeds this up considerably. Soft wax just smears further into the fabric.
- 2
Lift off the bulk of the wax
Carefully break off the hard wax or lift it with the back of a spoon or a blunt knife. Work without much pressure so you don't damage the fibres.
- 3
Iron it out with blotting paper
Place blotting paper or kitchen paper on the stain and, for textiles, underneath it too. Iron over it without steam on a medium setting: the wax melts and soaks into the paper. Keep moving the paper to a clean spot until no more wax comes out.
- 4
Treat coloured residue
Coloured candles often leave a dye stain behind. Treat it with a little gall soap or stain remover spray, then wash the item as usual. In carpet, go after the dye residue with carpet cleaner.
- 5
Be gentle with delicate fabrics
For silk or wool, set the iron to the lowest setting and always put a cloth in between. If you're unsure, better take the piece to the dry cleaner.
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Upload a photo →Frequently asked questions
- Will red candle wax come out completely?
- The wax itself, yes – the red dye is the real challenge. Iron out all the wax first, then treat the dye residue with gall soap or an oxygen stain remover, in several rounds if needed.
- Can I use a hairdryer instead of an iron?
- Yes, especially on carpets and upholstery: gently warm the wax with the hairdryer and dab it off with kitchen paper. On flat textiles, though, the iron works more evenly and faster.
- How do I get wax off wood or glass?
- Let it harden and carefully lift it off with a fingernail or a plastic card. Warm any residue slightly with the hairdryer and wipe it away with a cloth – give wood a quick polish afterwards.