Blog

If the warm glow of dinner candles has left you with a cold, hardened tablecloth stain the next morning, don’t let it spoil the mood. Whether placed on the table as a centerpiece, used as decoration pieces for homes, or employed for kindling romance between a couple during dinner, candles are an integral part of every occasion. Also, they form a significant element in festivities on occasions like Christmas, Easter, and other celebrations. Nonetheless, the beauty, a great aroma and attractive looks of candles bring along with them those unsighted candle drippings which stain carpets, furniture, tabletops, tablecloths, fabrics and floors. If the wax stains are taking a better part of your designer table mat or furniture piece leaving you wonder how to get rid of these unsightly marks, then here’s a clue. Wax stains can be easily removed at home without much worrying.

*

What To Look For

Fortunately, you can safely remove candle wax from almost any surface, regardless if it’s
paraffin or soy wax. Removing candle wax from carpets can be as simple as using a soft, slightly damp cloth and an iron. If you need to remove wax from a wood surface, that’s even simpler: You can either heat it up with a hair dryer and rub it off with a cloth, or freeze it with ice and gently scrape the wax off with a credit card. It’s even possible to remove candle wax from painted walls and CDs without damaging them. All it takes is heat and gentle persuasion.

*

Healthy Tips

Removing wax from wood furniture
If candle wax has dripped on your fine wood furniture, don’t worry.

• Apply an ice pack or ice cubes to freeze the wax till it hardens.
• Gently pry off the wax using a credit card, plastic spatula or other non-abrasive object that won’t scratch your furniture.
• If a spot remains, apply a cream furniture polish or oil soap, then buff with furniture wax.

*

Removing wax from glass

• While the wax is still warm and soft, scrape it off with a straight-edged razor blade.
• Or you can harden the wax by applying an ice pack or ice cubes and chip or pry it off using a credit card, spatula or other non-abrasive tool that won’t scratch the glass.
• Clean the area with a glass cleaner.

*

Removing wax from a tablecloth

• Harden the wax by applying an ice pack or, if practical, place the entire tablecloth in the freezer for a half-hour or so.
• Gently pick the wax away from the fabric using a butter knife or similar tool that won’t damage the fabric.
• Sandwich the tablecloth between two layers of brown paper bag or paper towels and press with an iron, heated to the highest setting. This will transfer the wax from the fabric to the paper.
• Repeat until the wax is completely transferred and dispose of the paper.
• Any remaining stain from a colored candle can be treated with a stain remover and washed. Just follow the instructions on the stain remover.

*

Removing wax from candlesticks and votive holders
You can avoid candle wax build-up in a votive holder by adding water or sand to the holder before lighting the candle. Or using drip shields on your candle sticks may help prevent a mess. But if it’s too late for that, here’s how to remove the wax:

• Place the candle stick or votive holder in the freezer for a half-hour or so till the wax is fully hardened.
• Chip or pry the wax off the item with a butter knife or similar tool. It should dislodge or pop-off easily.
• Any remaining spots will wash off with hot soapy water.
• Following these steps will remove any fear of clean-up when using candles and allow you to enjoy them to their fullest.