How to Get Candle Wax Off Anything

Candles are the easiest way to make a room feel like the holidays. They're also the easiest way to make a mess.

One drafty doorway, one too-tall taper, one enthusiastic kid blowing out the menorah, and suddenly there's wax on the tablecloth, the carpet, the dining table, and somehow the dog.

Here's the good news: candle wax is one of the easiest messes to clean up. It doesn't soak in like wine or grease. It just sits there, waiting for you to lift it off. The trick is knowing when to use cold, when to use heat, and when to keep both far away.

Here's how to get candle wax off just about anything.

The Golden Rule: Don't Touch It While It's Hot

Wiping warm wax just smears it into a bigger, thinner mess that's twice as hard to remove. Let it harden completely first. Then remember the two-step method that works on almost everything:

1. Freeze it and lift it. Cold makes wax brittle, so most of it pops right off.
2. Melt the rest and absorb it. Gentle heat softens the thin layer left behind, so paper can soak it up.

Then deal with any color the candle left behind. That's it. The details just change by surface.

Candle Wax Removal at a Glance

Your Wax Removal Kit

• A bag of ice cubes
• A plastic scraper, an old credit card or a plastic spatula (never a knife on wood or silver)
• Brown paper bags, plain white paper towels or plain newsprint, with no printing on the part that touches the wax
• An iron and a hair dryer
• Rubbing alcohol, for the colored stain left behind
• Wooden skewers or toothpicks
• Soft cloths

Test first. Before you use heat or rubbing alcohol on anything, try it on a hidden spot.

How to Get Candle Wax Off a Tablecloth

1. Freeze it. Hold a bag of ice on the wax until it's rock hard, a few minutes. Small napkins can go straight into the freezer in a plastic bag.
2. Scrape it. Bend the fabric and flake off as much wax as you can with a dull edge or old credit card.
3. Iron out the rest. Put a brown paper bag under the fabric and another on top of the wax. Press with a warm, dry iron (no steam). The wax melts into the paper. Move to a clean section of paper and repeat until nothing more comes up.
4. Treat the color. Colored candles can leave a dye stain. Dab it with rubbing alcohol on a white cloth, or pretreat it with a laundry stain remover.
5. Wash, and check the spot before it goes in the dryer. Heat sets any shadow that's left.

The same method works on clothes. For the rest of the holiday mess on your linens, see The Thanksgiving Table Stain Guide.

How to Get Candle Wax Out of Carpet

1. Freeze it with a bag of ice.
2. Break it up. Crack the hardened wax with the back of a spoon, pull the pieces out of the fibers with your fingers, and vacuum up the crumbs.
3. Lift the rest with heat. Lay a brown paper bag or plain paper towel over the spot and press briefly with an iron on low, no steam. Keep the iron moving, and never let it touch the carpet directly. Many carpets are synthetic, and too much heat can melt the fibers. Keep switching to a clean section of paper.
4. Treat the color. Blot any dye stain with rubbing alcohol on a white cloth. Blot, don't rub, and test it in a closet first.

Wool rug or an antique? Skip the iron and call a professional. More here: remove wax from carpet.

How to Get Candle Wax Off Upholstery

Freeze and scrape, the same as carpet. Before you use any heat or rubbing alcohol, check the cleaning code on the tag under the cushion. A "W" or "W/S" code can usually handle the paper-and-iron method on low. An "S" code means solvent only, so no water. And an "X" code means vacuum only, so leave the rest to a pro. Here's how to read the tags: deciphering upholstery cleaning codes.

How to Get Candle Wax Off Wood

Wood is where people panic and reach for a butter knife. Don't. A metal blade will scratch the finish faster than the wax ever could.

1. Harden it. Hold a bag of ice on the wax for a minute or two. Wrap the ice in a plastic bag, so no water drips on the wood.
2. Pop it off. Slide a plastic scraper or old credit card under the edge of the wax and gently lift. Hardened wax usually releases from a finished surface in one piece.
3. Soften the residue. For the thin haze left behind, warm it with a hair dryer on low for a few seconds, then wipe it away with a soft cloth.
4. Finish it. Wipe the spot with your usual wood cleaner, and buff it with a little furniture polish to bring the shine back.

This works on finished wood floors, too. More on caring for wood: wood furniture cleaning tips.

How to Get Candle Wax Out of Glass Holders and Jars

• The freezer method: Put the candle holder or jar in the freezer for a few hours. The wax shrinks as it gets cold and pops right out. Ease it out with a butter knife or spoon if it needs a nudge.
• The hot water method: Fill the jar with hot tap water and let it sit. The wax melts, floats to the top and hardens into a disk you can lift out. Use hot tap water instead of boiling water, which can crack glass.
• Finish up: Scrape off the metal wick tab, wipe out any residue with a paper towel, and wash in hot, soapy water. Now you've got a free jar for cotton balls, pens or fresh flowers.

Never pour melted wax down the sink. It hardens in the pipes.

How to Get Candle Wax Off a Menorah

Eight nights of candles means eight nights of drips, and a menorah full of wax by the end of Hanukkah. Here's how to clean it without hurting the finish.

For Solid Metal or Glass Menorahs

1. Freeze it. Put the menorah in the freezer for an hour or two. The wax turns brittle and pops out of the candle cups.
2. Pick out the stubborn bits with a wooden skewer or toothpick. Skip metal picks, which can scratch silver and brass.
3. Wash it in warm, soapy water and dry it right away.
4. Polish it. Use a polish made for your metal, silver or brass, to bring the shine back.

For Menorahs With Glued Parts, Felt or Weighted Bases

Skip the freezer and the sink, since cold and water can loosen glue and damage felt. Instead, warm the wax with a hair dryer on low until it softens, then wipe it out with a paper towel and finish with a soft, dry cloth. For an heirloom menorah, gentle is always the way to go.

Next Year, Prevent the Drips

• Rub a thin coat of vegetable oil inside each candle cup before you light the candles. The wax pops right out afterward.
• Set the menorah on a tray or a sheet of foil to catch the drips.
• Keep it away from drafts, which make candles drip much more.

The same methods work for silver and brass candlesticks. For more on making the silver sparkle, see these easy holiday cleaning tips.

Wax on Walls, Tile and Stone

• Painted walls: Warm the wax with a hair dryer on low, then wipe it off with a paper towel. Remove any color with a dab of rubbing alcohol, after testing a hidden spot.
• Tile: Pop the hardened wax off with a plastic scraper, then wipe the tile with warm, soapy water.
• Marble and natural stone: Harden it with ice, lift it with a plastic scraper, and wipe with a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Skip vinegar, which etches stone. More here: how to clean stone floors.

How to Keep Candle Wax Off Everything

• Keep candles out of drafts. Drafts from doors, vents and ceiling fans are the number one cause of drips.
• Buy dripless candles for the dinner table.
• Use the right size holder. A candle that leans drips.
• Add bobeches, the little glass collars that slip over a candlestick to catch drips.
• Set candles on a tray or a plate, not right on the tablecloth or the wood.
• Trim wicks to a quarter inch before lighting. Long wicks burn hot and drip.
• Never leave candles burning unattended, and keep them away from curtains, greenery and little hands.

Flameless candles skip all of this, and they won't set the garland on fire. More holiday safety checks: holiday safety tips for entertaining.

Candle Wax: Quick Answers

What's the easiest way to get candle wax off something?

Let it harden, freeze it with ice, and lift it off with a plastic scraper. Then soften any thin layer that's left with gentle heat and absorb it with paper.

How do you get candle wax out of a tablecloth?

Freeze the wax with ice and scrape it off. Then iron the rest into a brown paper bag with a warm, dry iron, treat any color with rubbing alcohol, and wash.

How do you remove candle wax from wood?

Harden it with a bag of ice, then gently pop it off with a plastic scraper or credit card. Soften any leftover haze with a hair dryer on low, wipe it away, and polish.

How do you clean wax out of a menorah?

Freeze a solid metal or glass menorah for an hour or two so the wax pops out, then pick out the rest with a wooden skewer, wash and polish. For menorahs with glued parts or felt, soften the wax with a hair dryer on low instead.

Keep Going

Clean up after the holidays the easy way with these related guides:

• The Thanksgiving Table Stain Guide: Gravy, cranberry, red wine and candle wax on linens.
• Remove Wax From Carpet: Get candle drips out of rugs.
• Wood Furniture Cleaning Tips: Keep the finish looking its best.
• Deciphering Upholstery Cleaning Codes: What the tag on your couch means.
• Easy Holiday Cleaning Tips: Get your home guest-ready.
• Laundry Stain Removal Guide: How to remove 16 common stains.
• Carpet Care and Cleaning Tips: Keep carpets looking new.
• Holiday Safety Tips for Entertaining: 20 things to check before company comes.