Nothing can spoil the mood at a candlelit dinner or evening party like an accident involving spilled wax. Once wax hardens, it can be quite difficult to remove. There are ways to remedy this situation, however, so don’t let a messy accident, such as this, spoil a good time.
The first thing you should do is gently scrape away as much wax as possible using a butter knife or similar object. Do your best not to pull up the fibers and threads of the carpet as this can lead to a bald spot, or at the very least, a weakening of the fibers, which causes earlier wear and tear on your carpet. Once you’ve removed as much wax as you can this way, cover the spot with a piece of brown paper bag. Run a warm iron over the brown paper bag. This should soften the wax, which will, in turn, adhere to the paper bag. When the bag is lifted, the wax will lift from the carpet as well. You may need to go over the spot more than once to remove all the wax. Make sure you use a warm iron, as you don’t want to burn the fibers of the carpet. If you’d like, you can place a towel over the paper bag to be extra safe. Never place the iron directly on the carpet as this can cause scorch marks. It can also leave you with a messy, wax covered iron.
In lieu of an iron and paper bag, you can also use a warm hair dyer and some newspaper or even paper towels. Place the newspaper over the wax and hold the hair dryer over it, using the highest setting. The wax should adhere to the newspaper in much the same way it adhered to the paper bag by using a warm iron. Hot water has also been recommended. Pour hot water slowly over the wax until it softens and then use a butter knife or similar object to scrape away.
Sometimes, just the opposite works. Try placing an icepack over the wax. This will freeze the wax, causing it to harden. Once it’s completely solid, it should be easier to pick off your carpet.
If there is dye from the candle left behind, dab with a bit of denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol to remove the stain. Always dab or blot, as rubbing will cause the stain to spread, making it set deeper into the carpet. There are other methods for removing spots from the carpet. Blot using one of the following: vinegar, club soda, lemon juice, a mild dish detergent (one with no alkalis or bleaches) or even a bit of nail polish remover. At this point, make sure no more heat is being applied to the carpet as heat causes stains to set deeper into the carpet. In fact, this is why it’s a good idea to use a warm iron or hair dryer for wax removal, rather than one set to the highest setting. After the stain is lifted, blot with a cool damp cloth.
As you can see, removing wax from the carpet isn’t too difficult and can be done with a few items most people have handy in their homes. Now you can enjoy candle-lit events worry free.
