Out Damned Spot! Out I Say! Removing Candle Wax from Carpet
Out Damned Spot! Out I Say! Removing Candle Wax from Carpet
For my birthday last year, my sister gave me a Scentsy type of wickless candle. I absolutely love the look of the container and the amazing scent it puts off.
Well, for my daughters first communion, I moved it to my formal living room (off the hardwood and onto a carpeted spot) because I thought it looked nicer. Little did I think about what would happen if it spilled. This is what happens..you have beautiful green melted wax all over cream colored carpet.
Initially, the first reaction is to wipe it up. NO! Believe me, leave it alone and let it dry. I know it is hard to stand back and stare at dark colored wax on your carpet, but believe me, do it.
Once it sat for a day, I tried to tackle it with a butter knife. I thought "how hard could it be to scrape off the wax?" Very hard. In fact it doesnt work.
Then I thought a hot steam clean might do the trick...nope that didnt do a thing but leave my carpet damp.
I had heard about using your iron to remove wax, but I honestly thought it would set the stain into the carpet. You know what you were taught about stains on clothes...never use heat or it wont come out. That is what I worried about with this. If I put heat on it, then my carpet would be stained green.
But after exhausting my limited options and watching a few YouTube videos, I pulled out my iron. I started by setting the iron on low (again hoping to avoid staining). I placed paper towel over the wax and then put the iron on the paper towel. This did not work!
So, I held my breath, turned the heat on my iron up to the medium-high cotton setting (with no steam) and ironed away on top of the paper towel.
I made sure to do two things frequently: I changed the paper towel (so that the wax wasnt put back into the carpet) and I wiped the bottom of the iron with an old dishtowel (so I wouldnt ruin my iron).
In the areas where the wax had gone down into the carpet, I used the tip of the iron to get between the carpet fibers.
I was and still am shocked at how well this worked. It did take some time (about an hour), so you will need to be patient, but there is absolutely no stain left on the carpet. This method was a great way to get wax out of carpet.
Here is my before and after. (They were taken a few hours apart...so different lighting :))
Have any of you had this fun experience and found other techniques that work?
Note: I do recommend spot testing the iron on your carpet to make sure you dont melt or damage your carpet with the heat. Also, I cannot guarantee that other waxes will not stain. I am overjoyed mine didnt.
Up next in Out Damned Spot! Out I Say! - the best way to clean a stained stainless steel sink. If it is called stainless steel...why does it stain so easily?
