How can I get wax out of fabric?

October 29, 2023 7:08 PM

I just knocked over a scented candle and it fell onto my dog’s bed (luckily he was not IN the bed or I’d have other, worse, things to worry about) but of course now I have dried wax: on his bed, on my area rug, on my couch. Please tell me there is an easy way to remove this. Also, his bed is new and it does not appear that the cover can come off.
posted by rhymedirective to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

A warm but not hot iron can melt the wax and brown paper can absorb it. Instructions here. Start by scraping up what you can and the lowest setting on the iron.
posted by soelo at 7:17 PM on October 29, 2023 [5 favorites]

Used an old credit card to scrape off what you can. Don't chip at it. The rest can probably be scraped up if you blow on it with a hair dryer. Then use simple detergent and soft damp cloth to keep wiping it until all gone.
posted by kschang at 7:26 PM on October 29, 2023

I came in here to suggest the method soelo linked to.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:44 PM on October 29, 2023

Scrape first, then do the iron. You can use cloth scraps and paper towels in addition to brown paper, each may absorb differently so it's worth trying a few different things.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:46 PM on October 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

Depending how much it's soaked in you can freeze it and break it off. I once used the liquid propellant from a can of "compressed air", the stuff for blasting dust off electronics, which isn't really air, either. I inverted the can so that the propellant is expelled from the nozzle, which is how the stuff is not supposed to be used. It's super cold and boils off to gas quickly, drawing away enough heat to freeze wax pretty solid and brittle. Don't get it on your skin or eyes, or you risk frostbite.
posted by 2N2222 at 7:47 PM on October 29, 2023 [3 favorites]

I have no idea why people are suggesting heat as a first recourse. Put ice cubes on the wax to freeze it and you should be able to break it off.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:26 AM on October 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

You can break or scrape melted wax off of fabric, but then there is usually a residue left behind that has soaked into the fibers. Melting it is the best way to remove that residue.
posted by soelo at 5:56 AM on October 30, 2023 [2 favorites]

2nd the freeze method. Ice cubes or a bag of frozen peas to get it really cold so it's brittle enough to snap off.
posted by hydra77 at 7:45 AM on October 30, 2023

I've used soelo's method but with paper towels to great success.
posted by mochapickle at 11:00 AM on October 30, 2023

seconding or thirding ... remove what you can gently with a credit card etc , then absorbent paper towel on the wax , warm iron , takes a while but does work
posted by burr1545 at 3:54 PM on October 30, 2023