Candles make any occasion—from birthdays to family dinners to the important "me" time—all the more special. The one downside, however, is that the dripping wax can make for quite a mess, especially when it lands on your clothing. But don't fret just yet, because there's a simple solution to the problem. We've put together a step-by-step guide to follow for getting candle wax out of clothes so that when it does happen (and it's bound to), you'll know just how to react.
Read on to learn the best tips for removing wax stains (and then shop some of the top-reviewed irons, an essential household tool in the wax removal process).
1. Let the wax dry
With most stains, it's better to act fast and remove them as soon as they happen. That's not the case with candle wax, however. As Persil notes, it's best to let the wax dry completely (either naturally or you can speed up the drying process by placing a few ice cubes on it) before attempting to remove it.
2. Scrape off what you can
Once the wax has dried completely, scrape off as much of it as you can. You'll be able to remove the thicker, top layer of the wax, but not the section that has sunk into the fabric itself. Be careful, however, with your scaping method. A sharp knife works well to remove wax from less delicate fabrics, but when working, for example, with silk, use a spoon (and a gentle scraping method) to prevent holes.
3. Steam the remaining wax
Once you've removed the top layers through the scraping method, you'll be left with the wax that has attached to the fibers of your clothing. So how do you remove the remaining residue? As Persil notes, "The trick is to carefully heat the wax and encourage it to soak into something else, such as blotting paper." Paper towels work, too, but not when dealing with fluffier fabrics, such as velvet, wool, and fleece.
Place the paper under and over the stain, and then lay a thin towel on top before you iron over the section. The wax will melt, and the paper will absorb the rest of the waxy residue.
4. Wash the garment normally
After you've removed the remaining wax, the next step is to wash the garment as you normally would and make sure the stain is completely gone before drying. If there's still some residue, repeat the steps above and use a stain removal treatment before washing again.
Shop Top-Reviewed Irons
"The steam from this machine is incredible," one customer wrote. And steam is exactly what you need when removing wax.
This is a highly rated option on Amazon.
Small and mighty, this mini steam iron is perfect for tackling those pesky wax stains.
Another well-reviewed, affordable pick.
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This story was published at an earlier date and has been recently updated.