What is the best way to get wax out of carpets?

Question

Candle wax has spilt over my carpet and I don't know how to get it off. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Put brown paper on it, then iron it with a cool iron. This will make the wax melt into the paper

Answer 2

The only way to get wax off a carpet is to prepare a
large pan, or bucket (depending on the amount of wax)
boil the water, take the carpet to the garden, or service
area that has a water outlet. If it is a big carpet, hang it
on a drying rope, and pour the water over the hanging
carpet. The wax will run off with the boiling water. Do not
scrub, and I suggest you protect yourself (jeans or plastic
apron). This happened to me once at Christmas, so I
looked up a candle maker and asked the expert. He told me
that this was the only way. And it is, there will not be a sign of
wax on your carpet. The man told me never to buy nor make
candles from used wax (taken from church alters etc)
because when making candles there is an added chemical
that makes the drippings of a candle harden right away, on
the actual candle stick. Once used, the kind man said, that this
added chemical is eliminated and the re-use of the wax can
be very dangerous especially if left alight during sleeping hours.
So. please, do not recycle candle wax. A lot of people recycle
candle wax at Christmas, birthdays so take care, sorry to repeat
only buy from a store that sells candles with a trademark.
The wax goes down the drain with the boiling water so,
protect yourself. Take care, cheers Iain

Answer 3

Do not use anything to heat the wax or your carpet, most carpets are made of synthetic material and will melt if overheated. If you know the carpet is wool, you can try to melt the wax, but if you do, it will just wick further into the fibers, making a bigger stain. Then you need specialized cleaners, turpentines, etc. Here's a much easier method: Take a bag of frozen peas or corn or ice cubes or an ice block and ice down the wax. Then use a dull knife (butter knife) to scrape off most of the wax. Chances are, this will remove most/all of it, as it probably wasn't all that hot and melty when it hit the carpet. Repeat until it's all or mostly scraped off. If there are still little bits that you cannot remove, I'd judiciously cut the carpet to remove those bits. It likely won't show, unless you've got Berber (closed loops) carpet.

Answer 4

Get some brown paper bags and either your iron set on a low setting or your blow dryer on a high setting and concentrate the heat on the wax. As it melts use the brown paper to soak it up. You will have to change pieces of paper frequently but the paper will absorb the wax. Also can try icing the wax until it becomes hard and brittle and peeling it off the carpet which may or may not work depending on your type of carpet. Be very careful if you use the iron that you don't leave it in one spot too long or you can burn the carpet. It takes patience and concentration to get the wax out and not damage the carpet but it does work

Answer 5

Three steps are involved:
1. Gently but thoroughly scrape as much wax off as you can. Use a dull edge so that you do not cut carpet fibers.
2. Crush ice cubes (a plastic bag helps contain them as you
break them if you don't own an ice crusher). Pile crushed cubes over wax. Let sit 15 - 20 minutes. Scrape off ice and additional wax which should now break free of carpet fibers.
3. Allow carpet to dry from ice cube treatment. Use a brown paper bag or recycled paper (You want paper without a smooth writing surface. Cheap, recycled paper would work well.) to cover the remaining wax. Iron repeatedly with a barely warm iron
until the trace amounts of wax have transferred to the paper. Change to fresh sheets of paper as needed.

Answer 6

Hi
There is two ways to remove waxes from carpet. 1/ Use a dry clean white terrycloth place it over the wax spot then heat it with a iron on low to med setting checking the spot every ten seconds or so, moving the terrycloth so that a clean spot is on the carpet.

2/ Which is the better way. Heat up a full kettle of water and pour it slowly on the carpet at the same time with a wet vacuum vacuum up the water. Keep on doing this untill the wax is removed.

From a carpet cleaner of 14 years

Answer 7

Try putting a paper bag on the waxed carpet, and then applying a hot iron.

Answer 8

After wax hardens, scrape up excess with a dull knife.
Place part of a paper bag over the remaining wax.
Place a warm iron over the bag and press gently.
Repeat until all the wax is transferred to the paper bag.

Answer 9

You need greaseproof paper and a warm iron.
Put greaseproof paper over the candle wax then put your warm iron on top, the wax will melt onto your greaseproof paper, and your carpet will be clean again.

Answer 10

Scrape of as much as possible. Warm some turps substitute in hot water - NOT OVER A FLAME IT BURNS - wash it out with this neat first on a rag. Then add some washing up liquid to the turps and wash it again. You should now be able to wash out the residue with hot soapy water. Try using a 'VAX' if you have one.
BTW - I have found 'Swarfega' is good for getting grease out of trousers and things. Rub it in well then wash them.
RoyS