How to Get Wax Out of Carpet, All of It

We all hate when the residue of candle wax drips on your newly soft carpets leaving you with an ugly stain. But don’t worry, getting wax out of the carpet is not as bad and removing makeup. All you need for carpet cleaning is a hot iron, a clean towel, and a bit of know-how.

What You Need

One Heavy Duty Carpet Cleaner

Step by Step Instructions on How to Get Wax Out of Your Carpet

Step 1: Scrape and Vacuum Wax Off

First, use a butter knife to remove any loose hardened wax that is stuck to the carpet. Gently scrape the wax off without damaging your carpet. With Berber carpets, the loops tend to unravel easily. Make sure all of the lumps of wax are scraped off and then vacuum the loose wax.

Step 2: Iron the Carpet

Use a white cotton towel that is slightly dampened with water and fold it in half. Then place the towel over the area with the wax. The process of pressing iron on the towel will force the wax to draw out of the carpet and seep into the towel. Set your iron on high and then press it over the towel for approximately 10 seconds. Keep doing this until you see that the wax is no longer there. This could take 30 seconds or so depending on how much wax there is. If your towel becomes dry, simply dampen the towel again. You may have to change the towel if it is completely covered in wax.

Step 3: Spray and Scrub Carpet Cleaner

Use a carpet cleaner and spray it on the stain. Then use a spoon to scrub the wet spot into the carpet. Use a clean white towel and pat the carpet dry. Allow the carpet to air dry for a few minutes. The spot will look darker until it gets dry. For carpets that are light-colored paired with darker stains, you will need to scrub a few more times to really remove the stain. It always feels terrible when wax gets on your carpet. For example, you host a Christmas party at home and your aunt chugs too much eggnog. Then she accidentally knocks your beautiful candle over the table and into your lavish carpet. The common advice to clean your carpet is to iron over a paper bag. But if you ask a professional carpet cleaner, they’ll give you a completely different answer. Don’t listen to those who don’t know because a paper bag can overheat and end up burning your carpet. Paper bags should never be used to take out the wax. All you really need is a small knife, spoon, high-pressure steam iron, stain remover for carpets, and a fresh white cotton towel. By the time you’re done with these steps, your carpet will be sparkling clean.

To recap, in step one you learn how to remove the loose chunks of wax off the carpet. This is to get rid of a majority of the wax. The carpet may be fuzzy if you scrape too hard. You can remove the fuzz using scissors. First, lay the scissors on the carpet. Then, push down on the point where the scissors pivot. Finally, cut off the excess fuzz.

In step two, you use an iron to remove stains by heating up the wax and drawing it out of the carpet fibers and into the towel.

If the wax discolors the area of the carpet, don’t worry it’s not an emergency. It’s normal, especially with light-colored carpets. Simply use a heavy-duty carpet cleaner to remove the discolored spot. If you still struggle to get the candle wax out of your carpet, consider booking a professional DYW Carpet Cleaning service.