How to Remove Wax From Silk

Melted wax--whether it be from crayons, hair removal products or candles--can be particularly messy, and will stain just about any fabric it comes into contact with. Silk is an especially delicate fabric when it comes to removing wax stains, because the stain removal method must be gentle enough to prevent ripping the silk. Textile experts point to dish detergent and household lubricants as the solvents to use to remove wax from silk.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spoon or blunt knife
• White cloths
• Household lubricant
• Dish detergent
• Laundry detergent
• Laundry stain remover

1. Remove as much of the wax as you can with a blunt utensil, such as a spoon or a butter knife. If the wax is sticky, put the silk item in the freezer until it hardens, and then remove.

2. Place the silk on top of a white cloth--use white to avoid transferring color from the cloth to the silk. Saturate the stained area with a household lubricant, such as WD-40.

3. Add a few drops of a liquid dish detergent to the lubricant and gently massage the fluids into the wax stain.

4. Wash your soiled silk in the hottest water indicated on the care tag. Use the usual amount of laundry detergent in your washing machine.

5. Hang the silk to dry. Drying the piece in a clothes dryer may set the wax stain if it has not been removed from the first stain removal attempt.

6. If the wax solids have been removed but some of the residual color remains, spray a laundry stain remover on the silk. Wash the item again as directed by the care tag.

Tips & Warnings

• If your silk item is not machine washable, do not attempt to remove the wax stain yourself. Take the item to a dry cleaner for professional stain removal.

References

• Silk Road Textile Merchants: Stain Removal
• WD-40 FAQs