You accidentally ran into the mantle, and now your red candle is quickly seeping into your carpet. Rather than bang your head off the wall and ask why you, grab your cleaning supplies and get to work. Learn a few simple tricks for how to get wax out of any carpet with ease.
Simple Ways to Remove Hardened Wax From Carpet
Wax accidents happen. It's cringe-worthy, of course, but it doesn't mean you need to rearrange your furniture to "cover" the stain. Rather than mess with your feng shui, you can grab a few materials to remove it from your pristine loop, cut pile, or even shag carpet.
- Iron
- Butter knife
- Bag of ice
- Parchment paper
- Towels
- Paper towels
How to Remove Wax From Carpet With Iron
One of the simplest ways out there to get rid of wax on your short, tight loop or cut pile carpet is to use an iron.
- Plug in the iron and set it to medium heat.
- Use the butter knife to scrape up as much wax as you can.
- Lay some paper towel over the wax.
- Place a damp towel over the paper towel.
- Start ironing the area on the towel for 10 to 30 seconds.
- The wax will melt and soak into the paper towel.
- Replace the paper towel as needed until all the wax has been removed.
Getting Wax Out With Parchment Paper
Another easy way to remove wax from your loop or cut pile carpet is with parchment paper and an iron.
- Set the iron to high.
- Fold the parchment paper and place it over the wax.
- Iron the area for about 10 seconds or so.
- Repeat this process until the wax is gone.
Using a Hairdryer to Remove Wax From Carpet
Heat is one of the best ways to remove wax. But many people worry about burning their shag carpet with an iron. Depending on the material of your carpet pile, this could be a real possibility. But an iron isn't the only way to add heat. You can use a hairdryer too.
- Remove as much of the wax as you can with a butter knife by scraping it gently.
- Set your hair dryer on high.
- Heat the wax.
- Blot with a paper towel.
- Repeat until all the wax is gone.
Simple How-to for Removing Wax From Carpet With Ice
Can't find your iron? Lots of households might not have an iron readily available. That doesn't mean you need to go out and buy one to get rid of the wax. Or, you might have a longer pile carpet, you don't feel comfortable heating up. In that case, grab your ice.
- Place the ice in a towel.
- Put it directly onto the wax.
- Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.
- Use a butter knife or scraper to remove the hardened ice.
- Repeat until the wax is completely removed.
How to Remove Wax Residue From Carpets
The heat and cold did a fabulous job removing wax chunks and most of the residue. However, you are still noticing a light discoloration in the area. This is especially true if you had colored wax that spilled. Well, you've got a few options for getting rid of the wax residue to truly clean your carpet.
- Vacuum
- Isopropyl alcohol
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Microfiber cloth
- Spoon
How to Remove Wax From Carpet With White Vinegar
White vinegar is acidic. So, it's perfect for breaking up residue and kicking it to the curb.
- Vacuum the area.
- Spray the area with straight white vinegar.
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
- Blot.
- Repeat until all the residue is outta here.
Using Baking Soda to Remove Wax Residue
Need a bit more power? Add a little bit of baking soda to the mix.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the waxy residue.
- Spray it with white vinegar.
- Allow it to bubble for a bit.
- Use the spoon to work the mixture into the pile.
- Blot with the microfiber cloth.
- Vacuum and repeat as needed.
How to Remove Colored or Red Wax From Carpet With Alcohol
Both of the above methods work for colored wax. But sometimes, you need a little more power. Grab the rubbing alcohol.
- Vacuum the area of the spill to bring the pile to attention.
- Add rubbing alcohol to a white cloth.
- Dab the stain.
- If the color comes off onto the towel, keep working on it until you don't get any more color.
Getting Wax Out of Wool and Outdoor Carpet or Rug
Wool carpet is a bit unique. It's essential to be extra careful with it. While the ice and iron methods work, this method has always provided success. First, you need:
- Iron
- Paper bag
- Damp towel
- Detergent
- Butter knife
With your iron at the ready, you need to tell that wax adiós.
- Put your iron on a medium setting.
- Use the knife to scrape out as much wax as you can.
- Cut a brown paper bag into strips as wide as the iron.
- Lay the paper down.
- Place the iron over the paper and start gently pulling it.
- Remove the iron and replace the paper until you don't get any more waxy residue on the paper.
- Lay a damp towel over the stain and add a drop of detergent.
- Put the iron on the towel for 5-10 seconds to steam out any remaining stain.
Words of Caution for Cleaning Carpet With Heat
When it comes to cleaning your carpet with heat, it's essential to be cautious and make sure you don't apply the iron directly to the carpet. You can easily burn or damage your carpet, which would be way more expensive than the wax spill. Additionally, carpets with loose, airy fibers like shag carpeting need a gentler hand since you can easily damage the fibers with scraping and ironing. Therefore, a hairdryer might work better in these situations. Tightly knit carpeting with short fibers or tight loop fibers can do well with the ironing method.
Simple Ways to Remove Wax From Any Carpet
Candles smell amazing. But there is always the possibility of a spill. If the worst-case scenario happens, you have the power to get it cleaned. Happy cleaning, friends. For more wax removal tips, learn how to get leftover candle wax out of a jar.
