How to Get Wax Out of Your Carpet

Since we are well into the winter season, burning candles is the norm in most homes. For those of you who burn candles every day it’s not uncommon to spill candle wax. If this has happened to you and the spilled wax has landed on a hard surface, consider yourself lucky, as this is easy to remove (wait until the wax cools and hardens, then break the wax off the surface). But removing wax from carpets is a very different story; out of all the things to accidentally get on your carpet, wax is one of the worst. Not only does wax solidify very quickly, but it also tends to be greasy and oily. You need to be very cautious when removing wax, because removing it incorrectly could either cause it to spread or cause damage to your carpet.

Don’t Touch the Hot Wax

The first impulse most people have is to try to remove the wax as quickly as possible. In truth, however, this usually just spreads the liquid across your carpet. A better solution is to wait until the wax has cooled entirely. Then the wax will be relegated to a certain area of the carpet rather than spread over the surface. Touching the hot wax can also break the natural surface tension of the wax and potentially force it down deeper into the carpet. If you have a particularly thick carpet, allowing the wax to cool could mean that it doesn’t penetrate the carpet at all.

Scrape Off the Hardened Wax

Once the wax has completely cooled, you should take action to remove as much of it as possible manually. Take care not to actually pull or fray the carpet fibers. Instead,  you want to gently tug at the solid wax, releasing it gently. You can use a common kitchen utensil for this process; butter knives tend to work very well, but sharp knives can be dangerous. Do not use a razor. A razor will shred your carpeting. At this stage, you should just be removing the wax that’s on the top of the carpet. Avoid trying to dig down deeper into the carpet strands.

Vacuum the Area

When scraping off the hardened wax, it’s likely that you will have broken up some of the pieces of wax into the carpet itself. Vacuum up the wax now so that it doesn’t melt into the carpet or get twisted into the carpet later on. Be careful when vacuuming so that you don’t run over the wax, driving it further into the carpet.

Lift Up the Wax

Now is the most challenging part — you need to physically lift the wax from the carpet. This can be done through the use of a brown paper bag (or parchment paper) and a standard clothes iron. Place the smooth paper firmly over the wax and then iron it onto it. Do this very lightly and keep the iron in constant motion or you could damage your carpeting. Turn the iron off and then gently lift the paper. Repeat this process until the wax has been entirely removed.

Though there are some cleaning solutions that can dissolve wax, it’s never a good idea to experiment with them — carpet fibers could potentially be vulnerable to some of the same solutions that wax is. If you have a stubborn spot of wax on your carpet, it is better to call a professional company before you start trying different products. At Power Pup Clean, we can take a look at your carpet stains and give you a consultation regarding the best options for you. Contact us today to learn more!