how to remove wax from carpet

Brown paper bags will absorb the wax from carpet during the removal process.

Few things are as relaxing as dining by candlelight.

Fortunately, the remnants of a relaxing night - melted candle wax on the carpet - can be removed pretty quickly, too.

These tips to remove wax from carpet can help get rid of the remnants of candlelight dinners past - or waxy residues from any other candle wax meets carpet incident.

These tips can and do work - but a gentle hand and perseverance are crucial to success.

To Remove Wax From Carpet, You'll Need:

To remove wax from carpet, gather the following:

ice cubes;

a plastic bag;

a spatula or spoon;

an iron;

a few brown paper bags;

dry cleaning fluid;

hand dish-washing liquid.

Place Ice Cubes in the Plastic Bag

Put the ice cubes in a plastic bag, and then place the bag over the candle wax until it hardens (usually a minute or three).

Gently Scrape Away Frozen Wax

Gently scrape excess candle wax from the carpet surface with a spatula or spoon. It should crack and pop off easily now.

Heat Up The Iron

Set the iron on low heat. Place a brown paper bag without any writing or designs on it over the candle wax stain. (Ink on bags could transfer to the carpet.) Press the heated iron on top of the bag for no more than a couple of seconds. Be sure to keep the iron heat on low so carpet fibers don't get scorched.

Check Your Progress

Look underneath the brown bag to confirm that the process is working. You should find a candle-colored smear of success on the bag, which shows that the candle wax is being lifted from the carpet.

Repeat and replace the bags as necessary until the candle wax no longer transfers to the paper bag when heated.

Blot the Spot with Dry Cleaning Fluid

Blot the spot with dry cleaning fluiduntil color is no longer being removed. (Use cleaning solvents like these sparingly to prevent damage to carpet backing.

Blot Rinse the Treated Area

Now blot the treated area with a cleaning solution of one-quarter teaspoon dishwashing liquid and one cup of warm water to remove all traces of cleaning fluid. Rinse and blot dry.

Finally, blot rinse the area with a clean cloth slightly dampened with cool water to remove any remaining dishwashing liquid from the carpet fibers. Blot dry with a paper towel or a dry, clean cloth.

Next time, perhaps you should consider dripless candles.