Wax on, wax off

February 14, 2008 4:56 PM

How can I safely remove candle wax from metal baking sheets so that a) the surfaces of the baking sheets don't get scratched, and b) they're food-safe again?

An extended power outage required the used of dozens of tealight candles (a bag of one zillion can be had at Ikea for $2!). Said candles were deployed on metal, nonstick cookie sheets. Hindsight tells me that I should have covered the cookie sheets with aluminum foil, but hey -- it was really dark.

Now, how do I remove the wax from the cookie sheets without marring the nonstick surface? I can scrape the big clumps off with a piece of wood, but residue remains. I'm worried that boiling water will just make the localized wax residue become a generalized wax film. I've read that metal can be frozen to remove wax, but will it really get even the tiny little bits leftover? (Yes, I could just try it, but sticking a cookie sheet in the freezer first requires emptying the freezer, and if there's another efficacious method, I'd like to try it first.)

posted by mudpuppie to Home & Garden (17 answers total)

I don't believe that candle wax is toxic. I would do the best I can and then not worry about it... But, then, I eat dirt too... :-\
posted by HuronBob at 4:59 PM on February 14, 2008

Heat the cookie sheet in the oven, and when the wax softens wipe it off with a cloth. Or if you want to attack each blob by itself, aim a hairdryer at one section of the sheet at a time for the same effect.
posted by that possible maker of pork sausages at 5:01 PM on February 14, 2008

Plastic spatula? Don't know about your specific candles, but candle wax is supposed to be safe.
posted by gramcracker at 5:03 PM on February 14, 2008

I'd think freeze and then mildly twist the cookie sheets or nudge the wax with a credit-card type implement. Should pop off.
posted by Stewriffic at 5:06 PM on February 14, 2008

Freeze it. It should pop off in clumps. A bit of wax may remain embedded in the non-stick surface, but candle wax is edible, and the tiny amount you'd be eating shouldn't affect your cookies' flavor any more than the tiny amount of non-stick surface you've been eating does.
posted by breezeway at 5:07 PM on February 14, 2008

I used an iron to remove a big wax spill from a wooden table; I imagine it would work equally well on baking sheets.

Place several layers of paper towel over the wax blobs. Over that, place an iron on low heat; gently sweep the surface of the paper towels, peeking now and then to see how quickly the wax melts. The paper towels will soak up the melting wax.

You might need to crank up from the lowest heat to a slightly higher one, but resist the urge to bump it up to highest heat. I don't know how hot irons get, but I wouldn't expose a non-stick surface to intense direct heat.

Careful! The baking sheet will get hot! Do this on a heat-proof surface, and use an oven mitt to handle it.
posted by Elsa at 5:07 PM on February 14, 2008

Once you get the worst chunks off, why not just run the thing through your dishwasher? (If you've got one?)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 5:09 PM on February 14, 2008

P.s. - Now I see why you're not putting the sheets in the frezer. But if you place something freezing cold (a bag of frozen peas, a cooling pad, a whole tray of ice cubes) over the wax, it will harden nicely. Worth a try!
posted by Elsa at 5:09 PM on February 14, 2008

Pour boiling hot water on them. Do it outside so the wax won't go down a drain. Then clean normally with a scrubby sponge.
posted by TDIpod at 5:13 PM on February 14, 2008

i did somthing similar once. dropped a candle on a baking pan. put it in the freezer overnight and everything will just pop off. may be some residue but that will scrape off with a credit card. scrub it with a brillo type sponge, soap ad hot water and you're golden!
posted by MeetMegan at 5:18 PM on February 14, 2008

Spread several layers of paper towels and use a clothes iron.
posted by qvtqht at 5:25 PM on February 14, 2008

Seconding the iron and paper towels.
posted by twirlypen at 5:51 PM on February 14, 2008

Cook Bookhouse's pork on it.
posted by clh at 6:03 PM on February 14, 2008

I too back up the freezing which is also a great way to get wax out of votives
posted by Holy foxy moxie batman! at 6:04 PM on February 14, 2008

Nthing the freeze, and if anything remains you can use a hot iron and paper towels or a newspaper to blot up the rest.
posted by deCadmus at 6:36 PM on February 14, 2008

We had the same problem. Just heat the sheet in the oven until the wax liquifies and wipe off. It's really not hard to get clean.
posted by Catrissa at 6:45 PM on February 14, 2008

I absolutely second, third, whatever, the iron and paper towels trick. This also works perfectly if you've ever had to take wax out of carpet. (I was the star of a church function once because I used this trick...they carried me around on their shoulders and shouted adulations!)
posted by cheeken at 12:15 AM on February 15, 2008 [1 favorite]