Candles are a part of many of our holiday festivities, and it’s pretty common to have to get them off of our surfaces due to bumps and spills. We’ve compiled a list of ways to get wax off of any surface for good, without damaging or staining.
Wood
When you remove wax from wood, it’s important to harden the wax completely with an ice cube. Follow this by gently scraping it away with a credit card (we suggest using an expired card or a membership card that won’t be missed) or a plastic ruler. Any leftover residue can be rubbed away with cream furniture wax
Vinyl Flooring
If you’re trying to remove wax from a vinyl floor, start by soaking the spot with hot water, and then wiping it away with a dry cloth. You don’t want to scrap the surface of vinyl, so be gentle. Most vinyl floorings are water-resistant, so the hot water shouldn’t do any damage to your floor. Once you have most of the wax removed, you can use a multipurpose remover to get rid of the residue. Goof off is an inexpensive solution that you can get from most hardware stores.
Carpet
Start by scraping off as much excess wax as you can. Lay a damp cloth over the wax and apply medium heat with an iron. The wax should adhere to the cloth. Use rubbing alcohol on the spot to remove residue and then freeze the remaining wax with an ice pack. Once hardened, try to break off the pieces with a blunt object like a spatula handle. Finish by vacuuming the pieces before they can soften again.
You may have to repeat this process a few times to get all of the wax out of your carpet.
Glass
If you’re working on removing wax from glass, scrape away the excess and then use a dryer set to medium to add heat. Wipe the residue away with a rag as it softens. You can then remove the remaining residue with hot, soapy water.
Walls
Use a blow dryer to apply medium heat to the wall. As the wax softens, wipe away with a cloth. If there is remaining residue, it can be wiped away with a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
Linens and Fabric Furniture
Start by scraping away as much wax as possible with a butter knife. With linen, sandwich the area between two paper bags. On a piece of furniture, simply top the area with a bag. Iron the area on medium heat until the wax transfers to the paper bag. Repeat with more paper bags as needed. Once you’ve gotten as much wax out as you can with the paper bags, you can blot the leftover stain with denatured alcohol
Leather Furniture
Be careful not to burn the leather, but move a blow dryer quickly over the surface to warm the wax. Use a clean cloth to remove the wax, and then use a polish that is specifically designed for leather furniture to remove the residue and keep the leather from drying out.