How to Get Wax Out of Carpet
Whether lit during a blackout or to create a romantic atmosphere in a bedroom, or to decorate one’s drawing hall for a party, candles create an ambiance that everyone loves because of the soft, golden candlelight that offers serenity to one’s mind. But not the wax dropped around the house is everyone’s favorite. Especially if it drops on the carpet, it becomes a great reason for homeowners’ headaches.
But not as many think, removing wax from the carpet is not very difficult, neither does it need some special materials. All the materials needed for getting wax out of carpet are available at one’s home. One should just know the process so that they can remain worry-free while lighting those votives when there is a power cut or a festive party at their home. Here are the methods.
Published: September 1, 2022.
Acting Fast is Important
A homeowner should remember to act as soon as possible to remove the wax stain from the carpet, no matter which method they use. The quicker they act, the less time the wax will get to settle into the carpet’s fibers, and the easier it will be to remove.
What Will Be Needed?
It’s a good idea to keep all the materials ready on hand, so one doesn’t have to run in search of one or more of them when they need them immediately. The following materials are needed.
- Ice (or dry ice) (or frozen meat),
- Iron (or a hair dryer),
- Paper towel, terry-cloth towel, brown paper bag, greaseproof paper or wax paper,
- Butter knife or any other blunt knife,
- Rubbing alcohol or carpet cleaner,
- Vacuum cleaner.
Freezing the Wax
Once homeowners make all the necessary materials ready, they first have to use the ice cubes to freeze the wax.
They must place a bag of ice cubes or frozen meat on the dropped wax. It’s a good idea to wrap the ice bag or frozen meat in a towel, so the wax doesn’t get wet due to the melting ice. One should aim at making the wax as cold as they can to solidify it to the extent that it can be removed easily from carpet fibers.
To make the process of freezing the wax more effective, one can even use dry ice because it’s much colder than regular ice and so will freeze the wax much faster, that too without leaving a residue. However, one should be careful while handling it.
They should wear leather gloves since dry ice can cause considerable damage to one’s skin.
Scraping the Wax
Once the wax is hardened due to freezing, one should scrape it off as much as possible with a blunt knife. It’s possible that one would be able to remove all the wax just with the knife. But if it’s not, they’ll have to follow the next steps.
Ironing the Stain
If all the wax isn’t removed with the knife, it will leave a stain on the carpet.
In that case, one should place a paper towel, terry-cloth towel, brown paper bag, greaseproof paper, or wax paper above the stain.
Now they should turn the iron on at a low-temperature setting. They should remember this well because an excessively hot iron could melt or, in some other way, damage the carpet’s fibers.
So, they should maintain a low-temperature setting and never use a steam setting.
Now they should slowly rub the iron over the towel or paper bag. The towel or bag will absorb the wax. The homeowner should place the towel or bag on fresh areas and keep repeating until all the wax is absorbed.
If the homeowner uses a hairdryer, they should keep it at a low-temperature setting and just blow the air onto the towel or paper bag, and follow the same steps as in the case of ironing.
Using a hairdryer is a safer option than ironing, especially if one is going to use paper instead of a cloth.
Cleaning the Carpet
Now the homeowner should start carpet cleaning. They should use rubbing alcohol or a commercial carpet cleaner to remove any remaining bits of wax or dry stains from the carpet.
After applying the cleaner or alcohol, they should blot it with a clean white cloth until the stains are removed. Then they should keep blotting until the moisture from the carpet is gone.
Rubbing alcohol also acts as a cleaning agent and can be used in place of a commercial carpet cleaner. Since wax is oil-based, rubbing alcohol can dissolve oil, and one can get rid of the wax stain.
One should first dip a cotton swab into rubbing alcohol and dab the stain with it. The oily, waxy stain will be seen melting away.
Then they should allow it to dry. Once it dries out, they should wipe the wax off with a sponge and then vacuum the area.
Vacuuming
After the carpet is dry, the homeowner should vacuum the rug with an upholstery brush attachment to restore the texture of the carpet. They will be surprised to see their carpet, which will look new as if it didn’t have any wax dropped on it or any stain.
Using WD 40
Apart from the above steps, there is another way of getting wax out of the carpet. It’s WD 40. One may be surprised to know that the popular lubricant brand WD40 is excellent for fixing tightened hinges, lubricating sticky wheels or drawers, cleaning tools, and preventing rust, but also for many other tasks, including getting wax out of carpet, wallpaper, glass and so on.
One can start by first scraping off hard wax bits with a dull knife and vacuuming loose wax bits. Then they should spray WD 40 in a generous amount on the carpet stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Once it’s dried, they should wipe the wax off the carpet with a sponge.
Using Vinegar
Vinegar mixed with baking powder is a go-to cleaning mixture for many stains and messes.
It deals with wax dropped on the carpet with the same efficiency. A homeowner should sprinkle baking soda in a fair amount on the stain and let it sit for around a minute. Then they should pour vinegar on baking soda. This will neutralize the baking soda.
They should keep applying vinegar until all the baking soda is dissolved. These two products will clean up the stain.
Finally, the homeowner should dab vinegar with a towel and vacuum the area.
Getting Rid of Wax Odor
Wax can sometimes leave a specific odor, depending on the candle’s fragrance. This can be removed with a mixture of 15 drops of essential oil and 16 ounces of baking soda. One should sprinkle this mixture on the affected area and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then they should vacuum the rug thoroughly. The rug would smell fresh again.
On What Types of Wax do These Methods Work?
These methods generally work on any type of wax, including paraffin wax, coconut wax, soy wax, beeswax, palm wax, rosin, and even hair removal wax (which normally contains beeswax and rosin, along with some additives).
So, homeowners can see how easy it is to remove wax from a carpet. They may be tempted to call in a professional carpet cleaner. However, since these methods are so easy and all the required substances are easily available in one’s home, they should first try cleaning the wax stains on their own. Happy carpet cleaning!
Long Story Short: Perhaps the most common method of removing wax and similar stains is using an iron and a paper towel - it should be done carefully to avoid any damage to the carpet, but it removes wax quickly and easily.
If needed, a carpet cleaner/washer can be used later to clean the whole carpet completely, but the vacuum cleaner with a good brushroll will also do the task.