Whether you’re looking to set a relaxing mood in your home or you’re setting up for a candle-lit dinner, burning candles is the way to go. You may also prefer to burn some candles during a power black-out or just for the lovely scent they can add to your home. Or maybe you use them during prayer, whatever you use them for, as long as you light candles often in your home or have waxy room diffusers and even some wax-based skin care products, you must have had to deal with annoying wax spills every now and then.

You might even have a wax spill from someone knocking over a candle during a party or a strong wind might tip over your candle holder pouring wax on your carpeted floor. If you’re wondering if your carpet is permanently ruined or if you will always have to live with the wax stain (which can be quite an eyesore) or have to throw the carpet or rug away. Fear not, wax removal from carpet floors or a rug is probably easier than you think, the best part? You don’t need any fancy tools.

If you act on the waxy spot soon enough, you can restore your rug or carpet in no time. You’ll learn from our wax cleaning tips below you don’t need to clean the mess immediately but take note that if the wax sits on the carpet or rug too long the harder the stain will be to remove. Read on for our step-by-step guide on removing candle wax from carpet:

Things You Will Need

There are various cleaning products you can opt to use or you can go for your trusted carpet cleaning solution. It all comes down to what products you have in your home, as well as the amount of wax spilled and the type of carpet. If the wax spill is not so big you may not even need any cleaning products.

The first rule to dealing with the wax mess is not to panic, unlike most stains, that you have to deal with immediately, it’s much easier to get rid of dried wax on a carpet than when it is fresh melted wax. So, take a deep breath and wait for a few minutes before you clean up the wax spill.

The things you need are a must-have in most home cleaning tips so you will most likely have them readily available in your home. Here is a list of what you need:

• An ice pack or a plastic bag of ice
• Steamer or dry Iron or a hairdryer  
• Butter knife or spatula
• White dishcloth or small towel
• Carpet cleaner or rubbing alcohol 
• Vacuum 

Steps to Remove Wax Out of Carpet

Follow our step-by-step guide below to easily clean up any wax spills

Step 1: Freeze the wax

As earlier mentioned, don’t try to wipe up the melted wax off your carpet immediately, wait for it to harden or you can quickly harden it with the ice pack or plastic bag of ice. You want the wax to be as hard as possible, however, avoid placing ice cubes directly on the wax, they will melt and create a wet spot on your carpet giving you another problem to deal with.

Step 2: Scrape the wax off

Next, as gently as you can, use your spatula or the flat edge of your butter knife to scrape off the hardened wax of the carpet. Try as much as possible to lift it in one piece, and avoid pushing down on the wax when scraping it off. it might penetrate your carpet fibers. Use a vacuum cleaner specially made for use on carpets like the Aspiron Carpet Cleaner Machine to vacuum any loose wax.

Step 3: Steam or iron the area

Sprinkle a white towel or dishcloth with water. Don’t make it too wet to avoid a wet patch on your carpet or the wax not being well absorbed. Place the damp cloth over the remaining wax spill and use a hot iron over it. Be careful when using a hot iron as you can damage your carpet fibers.

Alternatively, you can use a steamer over it, to save your time and energy. A good steamer, like the Aspiron canister steam system, that comes with a carpet glider is ideal for tackling such stains.  The steam will melt any residual wax, which can then be vacuumed by your carpet vacuum cleaner leaving your carpet clean and dry.

Step 4: Use a carpet cleaner

Wax can leave an oily residue, so using a carpet cleaner can leave you with a fresh and clean carpet. However, with a good steam cleaner, the hot pressurized steam will remove any grease or grime.

The best part about most of the candle or room diffuser wax smells is that they smell good so you won’t have to worry about your carpet having a bad smell.

Step 5: Tackle any Lingering Discoloration

If there is some discoloration left after you’ve gone through all the steps, you can use a commercial carpet cleaner for cleaning home carpets or you can use rubbing alcohol. Be sure to do a spot test on a small area. Pour some rubbing alcohol or carpet cleaner on the stained area, let it sit for a few minutes, and dab on it with a white dishcloth until the stain disappears.

Step 6: Prevent Future Spills

To reduce the chances of similar accidents occurring, keep your lit candles away from surface edges. If you place your candles too close to the edge of a table or ledge it’s at a high risk of getting knocked over. This might spill wax on your carpets or rugs and even worse, it presents a fire hazard. Place candles and diffusers at the center of a large table when burning.

Be careful if you’re cleaning the wax stains that have stayed a while or if your carpet has delicate fabric. Investing in a good steam cleaner and carpet cleaner is worth it, you can be sure your carpet will be well taken care of.