How to remove wax from clothes - 8 effective ways to remove wax from fabric

22.09.2021 -

This article discusses how to remove candle wax from clothes made of different materials. You will learn what to do when removing wax stains, how to remove wax from jeans and silk dresses, and if you can use velvet solvent.

Candles are a traditional decorative element of the interior. Birthday celebration cannot be imagined without them. They are used to create a romantic atmosphere and are lit during Christian rituals. In all these cases, there may be situations where someone pushes the candle and the melted wax gets on the clothes.

To remove wax from the fabric, it is treated with steam, cold or chemicals.

These stains are difficult to remove right away, as the wax quickly spreads through the fabric, saturates its fibers and hardens. To get rid of the contamination, you need to determine what fabric the clothes are made from and choose a way to remove candle wax from clothes at home. Sometimes this method depends on the material from which the candle is made - paraffin or beeswax:

wax candles are easy to cut, malleable and unpainted.
paraffin candles are hard, crumble from a knife and often contain dye that can remain on the fabric after the wax is removed.

Also, before you wash the wax from your clothes, study the rules for processing fabric:

Do not touch the wax with a tissue or with your hands while it is fresh. This will smear it over the fabric and it will be absorbed deeper into the fibers of the fabric.
Try to mechanically scrape off the hardened bead before removing the stain. Use a flat, non-sharp knife, nail file, putty knife, or ruler. Fold the fabric over the edge of the stain and pry with any of these items.
If the wax does not come off, freeze it - stuff your clothes in the freezer or place an ice pack on top. Then scrub the stain with a toothbrush.
If the candle is paraffin wax, remember it after freezing the fabric. The paraffin will crumble and the dirt can be easily scraped off.

After mechanical processing of clothes, fragments of wax remain in the fibers of the fabric.... You can get rid of them by more radical methods. Test each of the methods on how to remove paraffin wax from a candle from clothes on the wrong side of the fabric. If the material does not deform and does not lose color, then the method is suitable.

8 ways to get wax off your clothes

heat treatment - hot water, iron, freezer;
special means - ammonia and ethyl alcohol, turpentine, solvent and dishwashing liquid.

Hot water

Residual wax in the fibers of the fabric can be melted in hot water... Be careful with synthetic materials. Some of them should not be heated too much.

How to remove wax from fabric with hot water:

Turn the stained product upside down and place the inside under hot water. The temperature should not exceed 70 ° C.
Let it sit for 2-3 minutes and remove the wax with a clean cloth.
Press the cloth gently against the clothes and try to absorb the dirt.
Hand wash clothes or machine wash.

The technology for removing wax from denim is a little more complicated.

How to wash jeans with hot water:

Pour 50-60 ° C hot water into a bowl.
Add detergent and soak the denim for 30 minutes.
Wash the product in the washing machine.

Iron

An iron helps if the garment or tablecloth is made of linen, cotton, cotton, and other materials that are resistant to heat.

How to remove wax from a candle from a tablecloth with a hot iron:

Place the tablecloth on the ironing board.
Place a white paper towel under the fabric and on top of it.
Set the iron to the lowest recommended temperature for the fabric. Usually this is 1 or 2 mode. Do not turn on steam.
Iron the tablecloth several times, making circular motions over the stain.
Change the towel every time wax residue sticks to it.
Wash the item as usual and rinse well.

If wax gets on your suede garment, do not iron the garment as it will dent the material. Here you just need to apply the dirty area to the heated surface of the iron through a paper towel sandwich, and the wax will come off the suede.

Another question is if drops of paraffin get on cotton, linen or suede. When the hot iron melts the paraffin wax, dark oil stains will remain on the fabric.

How to remove a candle stain on a dress if the candle is made of paraffin:

Treat the dirt according to the standard scheme - two layers of towels, ironing, changing paper to a new one when the wax begins to melt.
Soak the fabric in whiteness for white garments, or vinegar for colored garments. The holding time is from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Machine wash your dress.

Freezer

Those fabrics for which hot water and an iron are contraindicated respond well to low temperatures. An ordinary freezer with a temperature below -5 ° C or an ice pack will do. It is especially effective to freeze clothes when the stain has just appeared and the wax has not penetrated all the fibers of the fabric.

How to get wax out of clothes in the freezer:

Wrap a small item in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. If this is a bulky jacket, attach a container of ice to the spot with the stain - frozen cassettes for a thermal bag, ice cubes.
Rub the cloth and remove any loose wax with a stiff brush.
When processing fur products, remove wax by moving from the base of the villi to their tips.
Wash off the oily residue with a damp swab.

If you're looking for a way to get colored wax out of your clothes, keep in mind that paraffin wax candles usually contain very persistent dyes. Even after thorough cleaning of the fabric, there may be traces of paint that cannot be removed. However, a 10% borax solution, citric acid and table salt can cope with weakly colored candles. You will find a borax solution at the pharmacy.

How to remove paraffin with borax solution:

Place an ice pack on the colored wax stain.
Scrape the frozen paraffin off the surface of the garment.
Treat the remaining stain with 10% borax (sodium tetraborate) solution.
Stir table salt and citric acid 1: 1, dilute with water.
Apply the solution to the stain, wipe the cloth and wash.

The most important thing when handling colored wax stains is not to use a hot iron. Exposure to high temperatures will only fix the dye in the fibers of the fabric.

Ammonia

After using any product, wash the item in the usual way.

Delicate garments such as chiffon or fine silk blouses should not be cleaned with aggressive organic solvents or ironed. In this case, ordinary ammonia will get rid of candle wax.

How to remove a candle stain from clothes with ammonia:

Dilute 1 tsp. alcohol in 1 liter of water.
Dip a cotton ball in the solution and apply to the wax stain.
When the paraffin wax dissolves, rinse the blouse in warm water.
Wash in the washing machine at the correct setting.

Ethanol

A popular way to remove wax from jeans is with ethyl alcohol and salt. Salt acts as an absorbent and absorbs paraffin, which is dissolved by alcohol. To remove all residual wax, repeat the procedure 4-5 times.

How to remove a wax candle stain with ethyl alcohol:

Saturate the cotton ball with alcohol and apply to the stain for 20-30 minutes.
Remove the cotton wool and sprinkle the remaining paraffin with kitchen salt.
Rub in the salt, shake and scrub the cloth with a soft brush.
Machine wash your denim clothes normally.

Turpentine

Pants made of velvet, plush, velor and other soft fleecy fabrics can be waxed with turpentine. It dissolves paraffin wax and degreases the contaminated area.

How to remove wax from trousers with turpentine:

Dip a cotton pad in organic solvent.
Apply to spot with stain for 20 minutes.
Wash the dress in soapy water.
Rinse with warm water and send to washing machine.

Also you can learn how to wash,.

Dishwashing liquid

To remove wax marks from delicate fabrics, it is best to use stain removers or dishwashing liquid. Delicate fabrics include satin, chiffon, organza, silk, wool, guipure, velvet. Also, this method is suitable in a situation where the clothes were washed before the wax spot was discovered.

How to remove wax from clothes after washing at home:

Pour some dishwashing liquid over the wax stain.
Cover with cling film on top.
Place the garment in the basin and wait 12 to 24 hours.
Wash the product in water up to 30 ° C.
Repeat the procedure as needed.

Solvent

If the garment is made of permanently colored fabric but is sensitive to high temperatures, you can remove the wax stain with a solvent such as acetone, kerosene, white spirit, or unleaded gasoline. The solvent is safe to use on plush and velvet fabrics and not on wool and silk.

How to clean a candle from clothes with gasoline:

Soak a cotton ball in refined gasoline and place on the stain.
Repeat the procedure after 30 minutes.
Wait for the clothes to dry. The gasoline must evaporate, otherwise it will mix with the wax residues and form an aqueous emulsion on the fabric.
Rinse the item in warm water and wash with powder.

For more information on how to remove wax from clothes, see the video:

What to remember

If wax gets on your clothes, do not rub the stain and wait for the wax to harden.
Scrape off the wax build-up with a dull knife or ruler.
Remove residual wax with an iron or freeze.
Colored wax must not be exposed to high temperatures.
Wax stains can be removed from jeans with hot water and ethyl alcohol.
Chiffon, organza and fine silk can be cleaned with ammonia and dishwashing liquid, while velvet, plush and velor can be cleaned with turpentine.