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Stop. Before you do anything else, if you have a melted mess to clean up, read this quick tutorial on how to remove candle wax from clothing FIRST. You’ll be surprised how simple it really is. You’re welcome. 😉
Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a candle she loved. She burned it every day and it made the living room smell woodsy and inviting. Then one day, right after blowing out the flame, she carelessly knocked the jar candle over, spilling melted wax E V E R Y W H E R E.
White candle wax covered her couch cushion, the floor, and the entire front of her favorite maxi dress. Naturally, she went to Facebook to bemoan her situation and seek solace from others.
Two months went by, and she finally decided to deal with the dress that had been sitting on top of her dryer, sadly neglected. To her great delight, the course of action she decided upon was a successful one, and now she would like to share her tips on how to remove candle wax with you! (pssst- it was me. I did it.)
How to Remove Candle Wax from Clothing
1. Allow the wax to fully cool and harden.
If it’s still quite soft, try putting the clothing into the freezer for an hour or so to harden it more.
2. Gently scrape the wax with a knife to remove the larger pieces.
3. Place the clothing item on an ironing board with a paper towel underneath.
Use a brand of paper towel that’s very cloth-like and absorbent.
4. Place another paper towel over the wax.
5. With an iron on low setting, gently move back and forth over the towel.
This will allow the wax to soften and be absorbed by the towels above and beneath the material. I started on the very lowest setting, but it wasn’t enough to really melt the wax, so I moved up to the next heat setting. Start on the very lowest and then adjust if necessary.
6. Peel back your paper towel and check your progress. Work in small sections, repeating as necessary.
7. After all the wax is removed, wash as directed and it’s good as new!
I was SO happy that this worked! I wore my dress again this last weekend. I can’t believe I put off dealing with the mess for so long. It really only took me 10 minutes to remove the wax from the entire dress. And let me tell you, there was a LOT of wax on it. The next thing to tackle will be the carpet. I’ll let you know how that goes! 🙂 But for now, if you need to remove candle wax from clothing, this is definitely the easiest way to do it!
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Amy says
Oh my goodness, this was so easy. I was prepared to use wax paper and my iron but saw this and decided to try the paper towels. One paper between the satin polyester blend pants leg and the ironing board and another paper towel on top of the fabric. My iron was set on a medium setting and after two swipes with the iron the wax had totally disappeared. It worked perfectly and so simple.
Nicole Burkholder says
Isn’t it great when something actually works?! 🙂
Lori says
Ive already washed my garment in the washer, did not dry, still has wax on it. Do you think this will work since I already washed it. I can still feel wax and the area is hard.
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes, it should still work, especially since you didn’t dry it. I have used the same trick on things that I washed without realizing it was still stuck on there. Sometimes the wax will have left an oily stain after getting soft in the wash and then spreading a bit. But at this point, it can’t hurt to try 🙂
Bonnie says
I just saw your post concerning spilled jar candle wax on your beloved dress. I too have melted candle wax, from a wax warmer, on something I’ve holding onto for two years. My cat knocked the warmer over, onto a pair of Converse sneakers, which I love. They’re not really “clothing” that can be tossed into the laundry. How did you do with your other items that were affected by your wax spill? We’re you able to remove the wax ? How did you do it?
Nicole Burkholder says
For the other things (like the carpet and couch) I just did the first step of ironing over a paper towel and letting it melt the wax and wick it up. It’s not quite as effective as being able to throw it in the wash when it’s done, but it gets the job done. 🙂