Jun
09
Hipsters to the Rescue: Candle Wax Explosion
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Thursday, June 9th, 2011 at 4:07 pm.
I think the picture above says it all, don’t you?!
It has not been a very “hip” day around the Morgan household. This candle wax explosion literally happened about 10 minutes ago and let’s just say the kiddos didn’t do it. 
I am now trying to figure out how to go about removing candle wax from my laminate floors, chair and file cabinet. Do you have any frugal suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated! 
Amy says:
I would suggest Gold Canyon’s wax remover to save yourself a headache! You can find it here:
http://www.mygc.com/jarsoffire
emma says:
I agree..works great!
Pat Becker says:
1
Place a piece of newspaper over the candle wax. Plug in your iron and allow it to heat up. Iron over the paper and wax. The paper will absorb the wax as the it melts, removing it from your furniture.
2
Place an ice pack or plastic bag filled with ice on the wax if it has not hardened completely yet (or if it is particularly hot or humid).
3
Use a credit card (or other thin piece of plastic like a plastic dough scraper) to scrape the wax gently off the surface. Clean the remaining residue with a clean cloth and warm, soapy water. Dry the wood thoroughly. If there is still wax remaining, repeat the process.
4
Turn on your hair dryer and blow the warm air onto the wax. Don’t get closer than 3 or 4 inches. Keep the heat on the wax until it has softened, but not melted. Use a clean cloth dipped in a solution of 2 tbsp. of white vinegar in 2 cups of warm water to gently wipe the wax away.
5
Clean the surface of the wood after removing the wax with an oil soap for wood and then polish to your liking.
Read more: How to Safely Remove Candle Wax From Wood Furniture | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6218474_safely-candle-wax-wood-furniture.html#ixzz1OpH4bdvh
Bridgette says:
I have had candle wax spill onto my new sofa….used a blowdryer and an iron!
Busy Mama says:
Instead of using newspaper, use paper towels. The print from the newspaper can transfer to the surface of the furniture (unfortunately I speak from personal experience), whereas the paper towels will absorb the wax efficiently.
Debi Boyd says:
Or use a heating pad instead of your iron, I’ve done this on my flooring and it’s a lot ‘safer’ than the iron and covers a larger area….it takes longer than the iron though, but if you have to stand up to get the phone you aren’t terrified that your tiniest kid might touch it or that your floors would scorch.
Stephanie says:
Use brown paper bags instead of newspaper. I had the same thing happen but with a candle warmer and the iron and brown paper bag got it all up.
Jessica says:
Use a blow dryer and make it turn to liquid and it wipes right up, believe me I’ve been through this! lol =))
Crystal says:
Use ice then use a Pampered Chef Stoneware scraper to remove it without scratching. Works great!
Anonymous says:
Pampered chef scrapers are great and works really good on your floors. I also have another scraper/chopper that’s metal from them that I’ve use to get wax off the floor but I would never use it on wood.
Sharon says:
Do NOT use the iron method. It will ruin your floors. I was going to suggest one of these scrapers to remove the excess
Jeni says:
I have had wax spilled on my carpet before. To get it out use a regular iron on steam. Place a paper towel on the wax and iron the paper towel. The wax melts into an oil and is absorbed into the towel, you might need to do a few times but your room will small great for a month!
Maura says:
Place a terry cloth towel over the wax and iron the towel. The wax will soak up into the towel no problem. You will have to throw out the towel….but that’s better than the other mess you are dealing with.
I kind of had a wax explosion on my honemoon as well in our fancy honeymoon suite
- and this trick worked wonders.
aprilikim says:
ice to freeze it so u can pop it off and vodka to clean the residue or rubbing alcohol let us know if it works
Julie says:
I was thinking the vodka might come in handy if the wax does not come off too. Personally I would just let it dry and harden and take a credit card and gently scrape it off. I’ve gotten it off of wood that way before. Hope the night gets better
Tina in East Texas says:
And if you take a few sips of vodka it helps to stay calm and feel better about things.
Heather says:
I think Vodka would be effect in more ways than one for this situation!!
Carlita says:
Its a product called Grease Lightening that really helps with all types of cleaning situations and stains…..here is the link for their website so you can check it out….hope this helps
))
http://www.greased-lightning.com/cleaningtips.html
Sherrie Lopez says:
Pat Becker, Comment # 102 told you everything I was going to, especailly the newspaper and iron. That’s the way I learned to get wax up after having teenagers that didn’t realize that you should put a saucer, bowl, anything under a candle before putting it on a piece of furniture. But actually, some of her other ideas or the website she listed for you may save you a big headache. Let us know how it turns out. Take care.
Sara says:
Shark steam cleaner worked great when my kids didn’t do it either! LOL
Rachel says:
Goo gone!
Karin says:
I’ve been through this. A hair dryer works miracles!
Chrissy says:
I’ve done this more times than I would like to admit. Take a paper bag, sit it on the carpet, and run an iron on low heat over it. That should get it out of your carpet. As for the dresser, try blowing steam from your iron to loosen it, then scrape off. I can’t guarantee that the steam won’t leave your wood looking different. But the wax should be gone.
pamhowden says:
If it’s a soy candle soap & water should clean it up.
Linda says:
tissue paper and hair dryer works every time
Anonymous says:
An iron on low setting and brown paper lunch bag. Put paper bag on wax and iron over bag. The wax and oils will absorb in bag. My nephew spilled a candle on my couch and carpet and it came out. My couch was microfiber suede look and you cant even tell it ever happened!
joelle says:
I want friends like these when I have an un-hip day
jennifer says:
Anonymous says:
hairdryer!
Lynne Wright says:
Goo Gone works well I think – and so does freezing with ice or iron with newspaper for the carpet – I’d try different areas – it will come up eventually with some work.
Kathy says:
check first and see if it was a soy candle I’ve heard they are easy to clean up.
Christina says:
Faster than any iron on floor, Boil some water, put a towel on the wax on hard wood floor (fold it like a napkin), small sections…poor hot water on towel let sit few seconds and holding another towel wipe it and it will come off right on the towel. you may want to put on a pair of those yellow heavy duty kitchen gloves too and you could actually use old rags then so you dont ruin towel. Don’t wring out in a sink though, do that in an old plastic or metal coffee can, as the wax will coat your sink pipes or collect at U and clog. Same with cabinet, poor the hot water on a wash cloth and it will wipe off. If you have a steamer it works great too, just hold a towel below and wipe right away on floor. Trust me this method is very fast. Iron and paper is for carpets or icing and cut with small scissors. Plastic coffee can from maxwell house is great, you can poor hot grease from bacon or hamburger into those and it does not melt (I do that and when full I freeze, and then throw away)
Karrie@HappyMoney says:
Awwweee– you poor thing! Were you able to get it all cleaned up Collin?
Anonymous says:
I make my own candles and Have had to clean up ALOT of wax…the newspaper trick listed above works, but be careful. The ink from the newspaper can leave spots on your floors/carpets, etc. Use a paper bag (like lunch sacks) instead.
Also, on the furniture, the cheapest way is the let it dry ALL THE WAY and then use a plastic spatula or even your fingernail, and just chip it off. Comes off most surfaces easily. Just wash with soap and water to get that last bit of stickiness off when you’re done.
ankirkma says:
You should have had a ~SCENTSY~ warmer and that sooo wouldn’t have happened!
Check it out at http://www.andreakirkman.scentsy.us
I agree with the suggestions above about the newpapers and to mainly get it back warm so you can soak up the oils out of the wax and get it to come up
I am so sorry that happened!
I had a lady who her house almost burnt because of candles, I introduced her to Scentsy and she never looked back. She had just spent almost $100 on candles because she loved them so much and then her candle exploded, she bought my Scentsy system and threw the other candles away!!!!
Pamm says:
Not true! My Scentsy warmers have been knocked over and ruined my hardwoods. I hate them! And none of the above have worked to get the sheen of wax off the floors (only the large portions.) I’m so upset. I bought the Gold Canyon wax remover–hopefully, that will work.
Jane says:
LOVE ALL THESE SOLUTIONS. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO REMOVE POWDER PRINTER INK FROM BEIGE CARPET? I MADE THE MISTAKE OF VACUUMING BEST I COULD THEN USED SOME LIQUID CLEANER.
Stacey says:
Use Rubbing Alcohol..that has done the trick for me. work in small areas and I would dab rather then rub for the larger amounts.
emma says:
Gold Canyon candles has a Wax Remover Product that works really well!
Wendy McKinnon says:
Honestly I had wax…the eyebrow kind spill all over my sink and I used a hair dryer and then when it was good and hot, took material (I used the muslin I had with it ) And just mopped it up. It was a chore but eventually it was all off:)
deeztiny says:
Hot water and a throwaway cloth rag…. it will re heat it and break it down to a more manageable state. Then try to polish furniture asap so no water damage occurs.
deeztiny says:
Also if you have a iron w a steam setting use that is conjunction w the hot water.
guest says:
Does anyone have suggestions for how to rid residual from the putty poster sticky stuff? I used some on my wall and now i cannot get rid of it. it left a residual on my wall. Ive tried everything including water and mr. magic clean erasers (which helped a little) but still..help!
Cindy says:
Try the Goo Gone! I’m telling you it works wonders on anything sticky.
Cindy says:
After reading through your comments, many are great ideas, I still stick by my old reliable method of getting just about anything out of anything. Goo Gone. It is available at Walgreens, Home Depot, Kroger and Publix. Use the pampered chef scraper to get most of it off. Then go at it with a little goo gone and paper towel. Works like a charm!
I have gotten year old gum out of carpet, red lipstick off of white satin, wax out of fabric and sticker goo off of glass and ceramics. Good Luck!
Oh, if all else fails……use th vodka method.
bucksaver says:
Goo Gone is wonderful for removing sticker price tags from items, too! Saves your fingernails.
Lynn H says:
Take some paper towels and put them under the cabinet. That a blow dryer and aim it at the wax. It will heat up the wax and will drip onto the paper towel. Or you can even heat the wax, wipe and repeat.
Hope it works for you. I’ve done this a couple of times and it worked great.
drich says:
I had this happen down a wall in my living room! I found that on hard surfaces, a bobby pin held sideways peels the wax right off! I just took the bobby pin, held it sideways, and slid it down the wall and the wax came off in ribbons.
Can take a little while if it’s a big spill, but it does a great job, surprisingly!
Diane O says:
Alcohol will make it peel off (rubbing alcohol), baby oil will remove it as well
Cathy H says:
I’ve had this happen to me only a couple of months a ago. Red wax over the wall, door and floor. I tried everything and nother removed the red stain of the wax. I finally tried a Mr Clean Magic Eraser……and it worked great!!!! It removed the wax and the stain! Hope it works for you!
Cathy H says:
LOL…it’s late….supposed to have said “nothing” not nother