How to remove candle wax from clothes

It is not unusual for a drop of melted candle wax to end up on a tablecloth or clothing, for example, after a romantic candlelight dinner or after celebrating a birthday party. The wax cools quickly and adheres to the fabric, making it difficult to remove . You may notice it at the moment the wax inevitably falls off or you may detect its presence after a while. In that sense, and as a first piece of advice, it must be said that it is not advisable to try to remove wax from clothes while it is still hot, first because you could burn yourself and second because it will always be easier to get rid of it when it is cold and solidified. With this point clear, if you want to know how to remove candle wax from clothes , keep reading this article where we give you the tips and practical solutions to achieve it easily. You may also be interested in: 

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Scraping + dishwasher

If you are going to wash a piece of clothing and see that ‘drip’ of dried wax, it is unlikely that you will be able to remove it by putting it directly in the washing machine. One of the home remedies to remove wax from clothes without damaging the garment is to follow these simple steps:

1. With a spatula or not too sharp knife (for example a dessert knife) gently scrape over the fabric to try to remove much of the stuck wax. Always do it with movements from top to bottom and superficially, without going deep into the fabric so as not to damage it.
2. Once most of the wax has been removed, put a few drops of dishwashing liquid on the area , the one you use to wash dishes by hand.
3. With a little water, soak the fabric well with the liquid soap and let it sit for a few minutes.
4. Rinse without scrubbing with warm water and proceed to wash it in the washing machine .

Iron

The clothes iron can also be an excellent tool to help you remove any wax that may have adhered.

1. Scrape , as we have indicated, to remove as much wax as possible.
2. Heat the iron at low-medium temperature and without steam .
3. On the ironing board, place a slightly damp absorbent napkin or kitchen paper , place the cloth with the wax on it and cover it with another paper napkin.
4. Run the iron over the area and you will see that the heat it gives off causes the remains of wax to liquefy and soak into the paper, freeing the garment from the wax and grease it releases.
5. Once this is done, wash as you normally would .

Ice or freezer

If you want to know how to remove candle wax from clothes quickly and easily, this trick is what you need. Acting quickly is important to prevent it from sticking excessively and leaving a ring of grease that is difficult to remove.

As we’ve said, you shouldn’t touch the hot wax, but if you’ve seen the ‘mishap’ that just happened, wait for the wax to cool down, then grab a plastic bag of ice and put it on top of it . This gesture will accelerate the solidification process, preventing the wax from penetrating excessively into the fibers of the fabric.

After a few minutes with the ice applied, remove the bag and remove the wax layer with a knife or spatula . You will get the same result if, instead of applying ice, you leave the clothes in the freezer for a few minutes.

Bicarbonate

If you have managed to remove the drop of wax, but a circle of grease has remained on your clothes in the form of an ‘impossible’ stain, try sprinkling a few tablespoons of baking soda on it . Let it sit for at least an hour and then shake the garment out. Additionally, use a soft brush on the affected area to remove any remaining baking soda. You will see that these powders have absorbed the resistant grease.

If it has been useful to you, you may be interested in this article on How to clean with baking soda .

Baking soda + hot water

Sometimes removing candle wax from clothing without risking the item it got on is not easy. If you have tried scraping, but the wax does not come out, do the following:

1. Boil a good amount of water in a container in which you can put the fabric from which you want to remove the wax.
2. Also add two or three tablespoons of baking soda .
3. When the water is very hot, insert the fabric with the wax (be careful not to burn yourself), wait a minute and take out the garment. Most likely, you will have managed to remove the wax. (this trick is not suitable for delicate garments ).

methyl alcohol

If what has fallen on your clothes is the wax from a colored candle , the problem becomes even more complicated, because you will have to try to remove the wax without it ‘fading’ , that is, without its color ending up altering the color of the the garment.

For this purpose, methyl alcohol is very useful because, once the layer of wax has been removed, you can apply a few drops to the remains that remain, let it sit for a couple of minutes , brush gently and immediately rinse the garment in its place. set.

Hair dryer

If you are wondering how to remove wax from clothes without an iron, but using heat, a hair dryer can be the solution to the wax remains and the stain they leave on clothes. If, for example, it has fallen on your blouse, when you detect it, act immediately.

1. Scrape off the surface wax.
2. Place two absorbent papers on the stain area , one on each side of the fabric.
3. Directly apply the heat of the dryer for a few minutes to absorb the grease.

If you liked this article, we recommend these other two on How to remove chlorine stains from clothes and How to remove stains from clothes dyed by someone else .

If you want to read more articles similar to How to Remove Candle Wax from Clothes , we recommend that you enter our Home Cleaning category .