How To Remove Candle Wax From Clothes

How To Get Wax Out Of Clothes

Spilled some wax? Don’t worry – Clean and Tidy Living has got your back with this guide for how to remove candle wax from clothes.

We all know that daunting moment when hot wax drips or spills onto our clothes.

Our instinct tells us to wipe it off as soon as possible, but this actually makes it harder to remove!

Hot wax is one of the few stains that need to be left to dry before attempting to get rid of it.

Letting it dry allows you to cleanly peel off the hard wax, leaving minor traces of the spill behind.

If you try and rub it straight away, the candle wax will harden, and set.

Not only that, but the wax will also be pushed deep into the fibers of the garment.

So before you do anything at all, put the garment down and leave it until it’s completely solid.

To speed up the process, you can place the clothing in the fridge or freezer.

In this article, we’ll cover three different methods for removing wax from clothes, as well as some wax-removal FAQs.

How To Remove Candle Wax From Garments

Quick note about removing Hair Removal Wax From Fabric:

Even though in this guide we are talking about candle wax, these methods may work for some hair removal wax.

If the wax in your clothes is the hard kind, these methods should work just as well.

Softer kinds of hair removal wax might not be removed with this product, as it doesn’t harden or behave in the same way.

How to Get Wax Out Of Clothes Using An Iron

The key thing to remember for this method is to let your iron cool slightly before applying to the paper towel.

A too hot iron may burn the paper towel, or make the wax too hot to grip onto the paper.

Ideally the iron will be warm, not too cold and not too hot!

For this iron method you will need: a dull knife, iron, paper towel, and optional stain removal/pre-treatment product

Wait for the wax to dry completely

Use a dull knife to scrape away as much wax as possible, being careful to not damage the fabric

Place a paper towel underneath and on top of the stained area of fabric

Using a warm (not hot) iron, carefully go over the stain. The wax will transfer onto the paper towel

Repeat the process and move around the paper towel until no more wax is being picked up

If there’s a stain from the dye, now’s the time to add your stain removal product or washing pre-treatment following manufacturers instructions

Wash the garment as normal. If the stain has gone, you can dry as usual. If the stain hasn’t gone, don’t tumble dry the clothing as this can cause it to permanently set into the fabric. Instead, repeat the stain removal process until the dye has gone

For this method you can also try using blotting paper instead of paper towels. Although, it’s slightly harder to come by than the kitchen staple.

How To Remove Candle Wax From Clothes Without Iron

We love the iron method as it’s so hassle-free, but if you don’t have one to hand then these two options work just as well for removing wax stains.

The Boiling Water Method

For this cleaning method you will need: a dull knife, a pot for boiling water, baking soda, and optional stain removal/pre-treatment product

Wait for the wax to dry completely

Use a dull knife to scrape away as much wax as possible, being careful to not damage the fabric

Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil, sprinkle in some baking soda (about six teaspoons)

Carefully lower the fabric into the water and leave for a minute or two

Once the wax stops rising to the surface, remove the garment using tongs and check the fabric for any traces of wax. Repeat the process once more until there is no more visible wax on the clothing

Wash as normal with your usual detergent, adding stain treatment to any leftover dye

Don’t tumble dry the clothing if some of the stain remains as this can cause it to permanently stain into the fabric. Instead, repeat your usual removal process until the dye has completely gone, and then dry as usual

The Hair Dryer Method

For this method you will need: a dull knife, a hair dryer, paper towel or blotting paper, and optional stain removal/pre-treatment product

Wait for the wax to dry completely

Use a dull knife to scrape away as much wax as possible, being careful to not damage the fabric

Place a paper towel underneath the stained area

Heat the stain gently with a hair dryer, blotting carefully with a paper towel. Repeat this process until there is no wax left on the item of clothing.

Wash as normal with your usual detergent, adding stain treatment to any leftover dye

Don’t tumble dry the clothing if some of the stain remains as this can cause it to permanently stain into the garment. Instead, repeat your usual removal process until the dye has completely gone, and then hair dry as usual.

How to get candle wax out of clothes - Clean and Tidy Living

Removing Wax From Fabric FAQs

Will Candle Wax Come Out In The Wash?

Depending on how hot and long the cycle is, candle wax might come out in the wash. However, it’s unlikely it will all be removed, and the candle’s dyes may still remain. It’s better to remove candle wax before the laundry cycle to prevent setting the stain further into the garment’s fibers.

Can Dry Cleaners Get Wax Out Of Clothes?

Dry cleaners have excellent chemical products that are great at removing candle wax from fabrics. However, if you want to save on the expensive trip to the dry cleaners, a hair dryer, iron and even boiling water can effectively remove candle wax stains from clothes.

Do Wax Stains Come Out?

Yes, wax stains aren’t permanent and can be removed with home remedies or a trip to the dry cleaner. However, a darker dye may leave a more difficult stain behind. In this case, a pre-treatment or other stain removal product may be required.

Final Thoughts On How To Remove Candle Wax from Clothes

Hopefully, you now know how to remove candle wax from clothes, and those pesky dye stains that are sometimes left behind after the wax is gone.

Out of the three methods, the iron is our favourite for getting rid of candle wax.

That’s probably because it involves the least fuss, for us anyway.

If you don’t like the idea of using an iron on your stains, the other two methods have the exact same results.

Candle wax stains might seem like the end of life for your tablecloth or piece of clothing, but as stains go it isn’t that hard to remove.

And, you also don’t have to deal with it straight away which is a huge bonus!

Leaving it to dry leads to better results, so there’s no need to jump up and go into crazy laundry mode straight away.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading these tips from Clean and Tidy Living. If you have, and would like to see more, you might like some of our related posts below.