How to Get Wax out of Carpet
If you like to use candles for romance, or are just a fan of collecting them, then you know how inconvenient a stray drop of candle wax can be. Especially if it drips onto a carpet.
But cleaning that candle wax out of your carpet doesn't have to be a hassle. Even if the wax has dried and sat there for a while, you can safely remove it and have your carpet looking good again. Just follow the simple instructions in our guide below.
You will learn how to get wax out of the carpet in three easy steps. We also cover other popular wax removal methods and explain what to avoid and why.
What this article covers:
- How to Get Candle Wax out of a Carpet
- What Other Materials Be Used to Remove Wax and Stains?
- How to Get Wax out of Carpet FAQ
- Why Does Crayon Wax Make More Mess than Candle Wax?
How to Get Candle Wax out of a Carpet
Before you proceed with removing the wax from your carpet, check that you have all of the following items. You should have most of these items in your home already.
- A pair of protective gloves - to protect your hands from hot wax during removal
- A butter knife - not any other kind!
- Vacuum cleaner (or cordless handheld mini vac)
- A clean, soft white cotton towel or similar cloth
- An iron - for heating the wax
- Some carpet stain remover
- A teaspoon
- A soft, white lint-free cloth
Once you have collected all these items, you are ready to get the wax out of your carpet. If you have several wax spills on one carpet, concentrate on one blob of wax at a time. You may need extra towels and cloths for multiple wax spills.
These are the simple steps you need to follow to safely remove dried and colored wax from your carpet. Follow these steps in order. Do not be tempted to skip ahead, as you may leave out an important step.
How to Get Dried Candle Wax out of a Carpet
Step 1 - Remove Excess Dried Wax
Gently scrape away the excess dry wax with the flat side of a butter knife. Take care not to cut into the carpet fibers. If you do not have a butter knife that you can use, a similar flat item may be used. But do not use a sharp or serrated knife, as this is guaranteed to damage the carpet fibers.
Don’t dig into the carpet in an attempt to remove embedded wax, as that will be removed in the next step. Use your vacuum cleaner or handheld mini vac to suck up the loosened bits of wax. Be sure to get them all, or you may end up tramping them all over the rest of the carpet.
Step 2 - Extract Remaining Wax From Carpet
Once the excess has been removed, take your white cotton towel, and dampen it. Wring out any excess moisture, and place it, folded in half, over the remaining wax. If you do not have a spare white towel that you are willing to sacrifice, use any soft white terrycloth-type of material.
Set your iron to the highest setting, and move it over the towel for 10 - 30 seconds. This depends on the amount of wax and how hot your iron gets. Do not place the iron directly onto the carpet. You will get wax all over your iron, and risk burning the carpet.
If your towel dries out, repeat the procedure after dampening it again. While wax can sometimes leave a stain, you won’t need to worry about getting an odor out of your carpet. Luckily, getting stains out isn’t always difficult.
Step 3 - Treat Any Stain That Remains
Once all of the wax has been safely removed, you may notice a slight stain on your carpet. Are you worried about how to clean the carpet stain left by the wax? Don’t be, you can do it the same way that you remove most stains from carpets.
Apply a few drops of your stain-removing agent or your best carpet cleaner chemical. Using the back of the teaspoon, gently work in the carpet stain remover to the affected area. Blot this with the soft, white lint-free cloth. As the cloth gets soiled, move to a cleaner part and continue dabbing.
For light-colored carpets or a particularly stubborn stain, two or more attempts may be necessary. Leave your carpet to dry naturally. It should look as good as new once it is dry. If you find that the treated area looks too bright afterward against the rest of the carpet, you may need to deep clean your entire carpet.
How to Get Colored Wax out of a Carpet
Do you need a simple yet effective solution to the problem of getting red spots out your of carpet? We have the perfect product for the removal of carpet stains. It is specially formulated to remove stubborn red coloring from any carpets and rugs.
Removing Colored Candlewax from Carpets
With an iron, a white terry cloth towel, and some Red Action you’ll be rid of that red stain on your carpet in no time. In fact, Red Action stain remover works great on all color stains.
Just follow the same steps as for dried wax removal listed above, to first remove the excess wax and then extract the residue. But use our Red Action product for step number 3, to ensure that any color stain left behind is removed.
Why Use Red Action Stain Remover?
Are you worried about how to get paint spots out of the carpet or how to remove stains left by fruit juice, food dye, or soda? Red Action will solve the problem.
This is a great product to have in the home, and you won’t know how you ever managed without it. It works on all stubborn color stains on your carpets and rugs. Buy some today, and you will save all your carpets from ruin.
What About Colored Wax Crayons?
What if the wax issue is not caused by dripping liquid wax from a candle, but rather tramped in bits of wax crayons? If you have young kids in the home you may be faced with how to get your carpet clean more often.
You can safely use the method above wax-removal method to remove wax crayon residue too. And if a color stain is left behind, tackle the colorful problem with our Red Action stain remover.
What Other Materials Be Used to Remove Wax and Stains?
Yes, but not all carpets and rugs are made of the same fibers. If yours is made from natural fibers, or you are unsure of the colorfastness, consult the manufacturer or do a test patch before attempting any stain-removal process.
With all the cleaning and stain removal hacks on the internet, particularly social media, you may have heard of the three listed below. So we decided to address each “hack” and look at if it will work, and why it is not the best solution.
Parchment Paper
You may have heard of people using parchment paper and iron instead of a white towel and an iron, to remove wax. If this is all that you have available, then you may use this method. Most family homes have some in the kitchen, and it will work if you have no old towel that you can use.
Why You Should Avoid Using it
When using parchment paper to remove wax, you run the risk of burning the paper with the iron. This will cause more of a problem, and complicate what was a simple job, unnecessarily. If you have an old towel that you can use, rather leave the parchment paper in the kitchen where it belongs.
Rubbing Alcohol
This is quite a popular choice to remove dried acrylic paint from a carpet as well as other common stains. Touted online as a wonder cleaner, many people have resorted to using this method of removing carpet stains.
Rubbing alcohol is effective at lightening many stains, and should not damage your carpet fibers. But, it is always best to tackle any task with products specifically formulated for it.
Why You Should Avoid Using It
The right carpet cleaning products will gently and safely clean and deodorize your carpets, leaving them dirt and germ-free and smelling fresh. And for really stubborn stains, it is best to use a stain removal product designed for the job at hand.
Bleach
If you have ever considered using bleach as an alternative for removing stubborn stains, don’t do it. It will whiten the stain for sure, along with the rest of your carpet. Bleach acts by removing pigment, which means that it will strip the color from your carpet fibers.
Why You Should Avoid Using It
Even white carpets are rarely pure white, and therefore will be left blotchy and ruined from the use of bleach. And never, ever use bleach on wool or wool-mix carpets or rugs. This is because bleach can dissolve wool fibers, and then you will have ruined your beautiful carpet completely.
Conclusion
There are various ways to clean a carpet and remove stubborn stains. And then there is the right way to do it. Always use reliable products designed for carpet cleaning, purchased from reputable dealers, to achieve the best results. This will prevent damage to your carpets and the costs of replacing them.
We have more than 30 years' experience in the cleaning products industry. Trust us to get your carpets clean and keep them looking their best.
How to Get Wax out of Carpet FAQ
Can anything else dissolve wax on carpets?
Yes. Isopropyl alcohol is very effective at dissolving wax. It shouldn’t damage the carpet or remove any color from the carpet fibers. Isopropyl alcohol is a form of what is known as rubbing alcohol. But certain materials do not respond well to rubbing alcohol, and a test patch would be necessary to check this.
Can hot wax damage my carpet?
Yes, but it is not the wax itself that is the problem. Anything that is hot and spills onto your carpet can damage the fibers. There are different types of carpets, and some are more susceptible to heat damage. Use an ice cube or ice pack to cool and solidify the wax and it will be easier to remove.
Why does crayon wax make more mess than candle wax?
Wax crayons and wax cables have many similarities, but crayons also contain other ingredients. This is why burning a crayon as a candle is not that effective. The excess pigments in crayons can cause more of a stain. But a specialized treatment like our Red Action will be able to remove this stain.
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