How to get rid of wax on clothes: clean the fabric from traces of paraffin
Candles can be found in every household: saved in case of a power outage, a romantic evening or aromatherapy. Drops of wax sometimes get on your favorite clothes. It is urgent to save the fabric if it gets dirty, but dry cleaning is an expensive pleasure. Housewives know how to remove wax from clothes with improvised means - every woman has removed the remnants of melted paraffin at least once. There are two known methods for removing stains: cold and hot. Let's figure out how to get rid of oily wax stains.
Wax on fabric: what you need to know
Before deciding how to remove wax from fabrics, let's take some advice.
Most candles are made from paraffin, a colorless, odorless, greasy substance that is produced chemically. The examples given are primarily related to paraffinic products.
- Before cleaning wax from clothing, test the cleaning agent on a sample from the same fabric or on an inconspicuous piece of soiled clothing. There are varieties of synthetics that are soluble in gasoline. It is used in one of the methods for removing wax.
- Pay attention to the fabric: only knowing the exact characteristics of the material will you choose the correct cleaning method. Not sure - it's better to use a dry cleaning service. Professionals know how to remove wax from clothes. Otherwise, the company will indemnify for the damaged item.
- It is easier to get rid of colorless paraffin. Painted candles leave colored spots, so they require a different approach. The dye is absorbed into the fabric and is more difficult to wash. Household cleaning products will help remove wax from the fabric.
- Paraffin eats into fabric and leaves greasy wax droplets on clothing. Take them out with gasoline and alcohol.
- Fabrics that require careful handling and synthetics should not be overheated. When working with delicate materials, the aesthetic appearance will suffer, and synthetic fibers will creep. How to remove stains in such a situation? In both cases, chemical is used to remove wax. funds.
- It is convenient to get rid of paraffin by heating. The wax that did not have time to harden is quickly soaked with a soft napkin.
- Another way is to freeze, so that the contamination hardens and the paraffin is easily removed.
Cleansing different types of fabrics from wax
Before removing wax from clothing, you need to determine the type of fabric. The least susceptible to the effects of a melted candle is the skin, it is easy to remove paraffin from it. Leather clothes are wrinkled, crumbs of hardened wax are removed by shaking. If the stain from the candle has eaten into the material, then laundry soap will cope with the greasy stain: you just have to wipe the problem area of the leather material with a moistened piece, and then wash it with water. Other fabrics require more detailed methods than wiping candle wax from clothing.
- Denim is the least worrisome - wax contamination is easy to get rid of. We freeze the material, clean the wax. Then it remains with the help of napkins and an iron to remove the remnants of the candle.
- Synthetic materials (organza, wool, silk, satin, chiffon) are afraid of overheating. The maximum wash temperature is indicated on the garment tag. Be gentle and leave the material in hot water for a short time. Removing wax stains will effectively continue washing.
- If delicate fabrics that are forbidden to iron are damaged, we clean the wax with an organic solvent. Treat the problematic piece of clothing with a cotton swab with a substance, then wash the item in warm water and rinse until cleansed.
- Furs that have gotten beads of wax can be cleaned by placing them in the freezer and shaking off any hardened pieces of wax.
- Cover the suede fabric with a paper napkin and heat it up with an iron for a few seconds. A solution that can be used to clean such stains: ammonia (35 ml), wine alcohol (10 ml) and gasoline (50 ml). An alternative recipe is an aqueous solution of ammonia. Dip a cotton swab and treat the affected area of the suede for a minute. Then wipe the garment with a damp cloth. Steam to restore structure.
How to remove wax stain from clothes made of cotton, calico, linen and other natural fabrics? 1. Clean off the top layer of dirt with a knife or spoon; 2. Place a cotton towel underneath the fabric; 3. Cover the material with a paper towel; 4. Iron over the top (50–70 ° C). The molten paraffin wax will stick to the material. It may be necessary to carry out the procedure several times, but as a result, the clothes will be saved.
Get rid of greasy stains
It is not enough to know how to remove wax from clothes; it is necessary to properly clean the fabric from the traces of a melted candle. Paraffin leaves greasy stains that spoil the appearance of the material. If hot and cold methods weren't enough, here are some more ways to remove wax and greasy stains from fabric:
- Liquid dishwashing detergent is something with which grease can be easily removed. Gently rub the liquid into the damaged piece of clothing, leave it on for a couple of hours, and then wash it off with water. The stain will disappear and the fabric will be saved.
- Here's how to remove stains with boiling water. Take a pot of hot water and place the material taut over the container. Secure the cloth, pour boiling water over the contaminated area. Repeat the process and the wax stain is finished.
- Dampen a piece of cloth with alcohol or gasoline. Then, gently rub off the candle stains. It will be possible to both remove wax from clothes and remove greasy wax traces.
- Treat stained clothing with hydrogen peroxide and cover with a plastic bag. Hide in the closet. An hour later, you will be delighted with the result.
Be careful when cleaning material. Knowing how to get candle stain off your clothes can save you money on dry cleaning and save your favorite item. Chemicals come in handy, from dishwashing liquid to special stain removers. Consider the type of material and possible effects of exposure of the garment to heat, refrigeration and chemicals. So you will return the aesthetic look to your favorite thing - there will be no trace of stains. Now you can competently give your friends advice on how to remove a stain from accidentally dripping wax on your clothes.