How to Get Melted Candle Wax Out of a Rug or Carpet
You lit a candle to help you relax or to fill your home with a clean, fresh scent and next thing you know, a slip of the wrist has you on your hands and knees, wondering if your brand new area rug or lemon-yellow carpet can be saved. The good news is that removing the wax takes only a few common household supplies. The bad news is that the process takes time and patience. Still, the time it takes to clean up the mess is far less expensive and time-consuming than the process of repairing or replacing your flooring. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Butter knife or putty knife
- Vacuum cleaner
- Paper towels
- Iron
- Laundry detergent
- Wet sponge
Instructions
-
-
1
Wait until the spilled wax cools and dries. Scrape up as much of the wax as you can using a butter knife or putty knife. Work in small sections and carefully pry the wax up to avoid damaging your carpet fibers.
-
2
Discard the larger wax chunks, then vacuum up the smaller pieces. You should have removed most of the wax at this point.
-
-
3
Place two to three layers of clean, white paper towels on top of the wax.
-
4
Set your iron to medium heat. Once heated, place the iron on top of the paper towel and gently press down. Hold in place for 10 to 20 seconds.
-
5
Lift up the iron and the paper towel to see if the melted wax has been absorbed. If not, heat for another 10 to 20 seconds. Discard the wax-coated paper towel and repeat with fresh paper towels until you've removed all the embedded wax.
-
6
Dab your carpeting with laundry detergent applied to a clean sponge to remove any stains caused by wax dyes. Rinse the sponge and dab with clean water to get all the suds and detergent out of your carpeting.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Use a clean white towel or brown paper bags if you don't have paper towels.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
