An article by Rodger Cresswell, Consultant to JC Regali.
JC Regali sell a range of high quality candles and know from customer comments how easy it is to spill candle wax onto carpets and the trauma of getting candle wax off carpet.Getting Candle Wax off carpet is a problem many of us have to face sometime!
Getting Candle Wax off carpet is a problem many of us have to face sometime!
How many times have you heard that getting candle wax off carpet is a problem?
Candles are used for so many occasions these days so it is inevitable that accidents will happen. Better quality candles used correctly help to reduce the possibility by melting the wax within the core of the candle first and not pouring unused wax down the sides. How much easier to clean your candle holders!
More often than not the accidental spillage happens when the candle is moved while still lit, it is blown out instead of using a snuffer and the melted wax splashes, or the candle is extinguished safely but moved before the was has reset.
If it spills or splashes where is it likely to go? Onto something that does not matter or is easy to clean? Don't be silly, it will be your precious carpet or fabric.
Don't despair, it is possible to clean candle wax from carpet. Removal of the candle wax from your carpet begins with cold treatment. You need to freeze the wax with an ice cube or cubes wrapped in a thin plastic bag such as a sandwich bag. Once the candle wax is set really hard tap it with a blunt instrument and it should crack, enabling you to pick or vacuum off the pieces.
You may be tempted to scrape off the wax or any pieces that remain and are being a bit stubborn. Beware! Make sure you are using a blunt edged spatula or similar. It seems more logical to use a sharp edged implement but your carpet will not thank you and you may be left with damaged fibres along with the extra cost of buying a mat to cover the damage. Much better to refreeze the bits and try gently lifting again.
An alternative method of how to lift candle wax from carpet is to use heat. This involves using your clothes iron. Be careful that the iron is not too hot or you will find yourself in an even bigger mess! Place a few sheets of absorbent paper, such as paper towel, over and around the spillage. Put the heated iron over the covered candle wax and as the wax melts it will be absorbed into the towel. You will probably have to use more than one paper towel to remove candle wax from the carpet.
It cannot be stressed enough that care must be taken when using a hot iron near a carpet; they do not normally go together. One slip of the iron and you will have a scorch mark on your precious carpet or if it is synthetic fibre you will have a burn mark and melted fibres. Not a pretty site!
After the wax has gone, there is always the chance that you may see a faint greasy mark. Dry cleaning solvent or proprietary carpet cleaner should finish the job. Always try it firstly on a small area that is not going to be seen just to make it is suitable for your carpet.
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If anyone knows a better way to remove candle wax from a carpet, just let us know!
