Wax Removal from Clothing

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How do I get candle wax out of fabric or linen?

Wax Removal from Clothing

To remove wax from your clothing, first chip off as much of the surface wax as possible, using a butterknife or credit card. Then, place several layers of paper towel over remaining wax, and apply a warm iron to draw wax into the paper towels. Replace the paper towels if they become saturated. You could also try using an acetone-based nail polish remover, or a spot dry-cleaning solution with acetone, but remember to always test in an inconspicuos spot first. Do not use acetone on delicate fabrics such as rayon and acetate.

   

Comments

8/15/2006 11:33:03 PM
laine! said:

it work! hot iron and paper toweling with steam removed the wax off my pants. Thank you


1/21/2007 8:10:56 AM
John & Mary Olson said:

The key to this is removal of as much of the wax as possible by careful scraping. Light stains of wax come off easily by this ironing method. Heavier spots take a lot more time. Overall, it works well.


3/4/2007 6:34:14 PM
Maureen said:

Getting wax off is generally just the first step. Then it's onto the oily residue that needs detergent of some type. I've also used Oxyclean to get out the color that was in the wax on the tablecloth. I used to cut the fibers of carpet that had wax in them, so this tip has saved my wall-to-wall!!


4/6/2007 7:54:55 PM
swynstein said:

yes the towel and the iron works very well i got some on my pants from church while holding a candle they were black pants and it came out like a mirical


8/18/2007 11:49:01 AM
Cathy said:

How about getting wax off furniture??


8/20/2007 2:51:51 PM
Kathleen said:

For heavily waxed area: I placed a heavily waxed area of a crocheted table cloth over a tall tin can, then poured boiling water over the area to melt away the wax. I turned the cloth over and treated the other side. The iron and paper towels removed the rest followed by stain remover (it was red candlewax).


11/28/2008 6:35:07 PM
julie said:

omg! this totally worked... THANK YOU!!!


12/27/2008 6:23:11 PM
Deloris said:

I had seen the paper towel and steam iron used on the CBS Saturday Show and when I went to a wedding reception and had a candle knocked over on a brand new suit I knew it was a goner. I googled the paper towel/iron trick to make sure I was doing it correctly and it really did work. I really was excited. Thanks for the helpful hint.


1/18/2009 1:16:22 PM
CYNROCK said:

Thank you so much, I have the Willi Smith Lambswool sweater that HAD wax on the cuff!, Not anymore! Thanks again


1/25/2009 6:52:21 AM
the custodian said:

Works great on carpets also.


3/31/2009 10:59:21 PM
Marie said:

It worked like magic!!


10/13/2009 10:22:47 PM
jfish said:

Excellent technique--worked on lycra tights and stretch cotton blouse ***


5/26/2011 8:44:36 AM
nani said:

great i just removed wax with hot iron off my track pant thanks!


12/25/2011 2:52:00 AM
Patience said:

How do you remove Christmas candle wax off of a red wool coat? It is very difficult to do without leaving spots....




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