Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Ashley Matuska. Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services.
How.com.vn marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 13 testimonials and 87% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.
This article has been viewed 212,074 times.
Wax stains can be very difficult to remove, especially from upholstery. Luckily, there are several methods that can be used to remove the wax. Begin by cooling the wax, removing the excess wax, and then transferring the wax to a paper bag using heat.
Things You Should Know
- Let excess wax dry before chilling it with ice and scraping it off the fabric.
- Place a brown paper bag over the wax and iron it until the wax transfers from the fabric to the bag.
- Alternatively, you can heat the wax with a hairdryer, apply WD-40 to the upholstery, or scrub it with water and dish detergent.
Steps
Allow the wax to dry. If you start removing the wax before it has completely dried, you might smear the wax and make it more difficult to remove.[1]
Ice the wax. Once the wax is dry, chill it using ice. Add a few ice cubes in a plastic sandwich bag and apply it to the surface of the wax. Chilling the wax will cause it to become brittle and easier to chip away.[2]- If the wax is on a pillow or removable fabric, consider putting the fabric in the freezer for better results.
Advertisement
Scrape off the wax. Using a butter knife, gently scrape the excess wax off of the fabric. Be careful to not use too much force as you could damage the fabric. You probably will not be able to remove all of the wax from the upholstery at this time.
Warm up an iron. Plug in a clothes iron and let it warm up to a medium heat setting. Read the fabric’s label to ensure that the fabric is iron safe. If the fabric does not have a label, test the iron on a small, inconspicuous spot before applying the heat to a larger area.[3]
Place a brown paper bag over the wax. Iron the brown paper bag. The iron will begin to melt the wax and transfer it from the fabric to the paper bag.[4]- A clean rag can be used in place of a paper bag; however, the wax is likely to remain on the cloth after washing.
- Be careful to use a paper bag without any writing. The ink from the print will transfer and stain the upholstery. If you use a paper bag from a store with a label, cut the label off of the bag before use.
Repeat several times. Move the paper bag and repeat the process until all of the wax has transferred from the upholstery to the bag.[5]
Remove any stains. Use an upholstery or carpet cleaner to remove any residual stains after the wax is lifted.[6] Spray the stain and let the cleaner sit for one minute. Then, carefully blot the stain with a clean microfiber towel, cloth or paper towel.[7] Repeat this process until the stain is gone.[8]
Heat the stain with a hairdryer. If you do not have an iron available, a hairdryer can have the same effect. Use the hairdryer to melt the wax and then carefully lay the brown paper bag on top of the wax. The paper bag will begin to absorb the warm wax. Repeat the process until all of the wax has been transferred.[9]- Use a blank paper bag or clean rag for this method as well.
Apply WD-40. WD-40 breaks down the wax and makes it softer and easier to clean off of upholstery. Gently scrub the solution into the fabric and wipe away with a clean rag or sponge. Use warm water to clean the solution from the fabric once all of the wax is removed.[10]- Test the WD-40 on an inconspicuous portion of the fabric before using it on a more noticeable section.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do you clean couch pillows attached to the couch?
Ashley MatuskaAshley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services.
Professional CleanerFirst, vacuum the entire surface. Then do spot cleaning with a cloth and mild soap. If it does not work, you can ask a professional to steam clean the couch. - QuestionWill this work for a stain that has been there for a while, or does this have to be done within the hour?
Community AnswerAs long as you let it solidify fully and have scraped what wax you can off, you should be good. Just make sure not to let the area get too dirty. - QuestionWhat if I don't have an iron?Community AnswerConsider using a hairdryer.
Tips
- Let the wax completely dry before trying to remove it from the upholstery.Thanks
- Avoid using a sharp knife to remove excess wax.Thanks
Warnings
- Do not over scrub or scrape the fabric when removing excess wax. This could damage the fabric’s surface.Thanks
Things You’ll Need
- Butter knife
- Ice cubes
- Plastic bag
- Paper bag or clean cloth
- Iron
- Hairdryer
- WD-40
- Dish detergent
- Water
- Sponge or clean rag
References
- ↑ http://www.stain-removal-101.com/candle-wax-stain-removal.html
- ↑ http://www.stain-removal-101.com/candle-wax-stain-removal.html
- ↑ http://www.stain-removal-101.com/candle-wax-stain-removal.html
- ↑ http://www.thriftyfun.com/Cleaning-Candle-Wax-from-Upholstery.html
- ↑ http://www.stain-removal-101.com/candle-wax-stain-removal.html
- ↑ Ashley Matuska. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 April 2019.
- ↑ Ashley Matuska. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 April 2019.
- ↑ http://www.stain-removal-101.com/candle-wax-stain-removal.html
- ↑ http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/14533/1/How-to-Remove-Candle-Wax.html
- ↑ http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/14533/1/How-to-Remove-Candle-Wax.html
- ↑ Ashley Matuska. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 April 2019.
- ↑ https://cleaning.tips.net/T006768_Removing_Melted_Crayon_from_Car_Upholstery.html
About This Article
You can get wax off of upholstery using a butter knife and an iron. Let the wax dry first so it'll be easier to remove. Once it's completely dry, place a plastic sandwich bag full of ice cubes on the wax to make it brittle and easy to chip away. When the wax is cold, use a butter knife to gently scrape the excess wax from the fabric. Then, you can use an iron to remove any leftover residue. Place a brown paper bag over the spot, then iron the bag on medium-heat. The heat from the iron should cause the residue to melt and stick to the paper bag. If there are any leftover stains after this, try using an upholstery cleaner to remove them. To learn how to use WD-40 to remove wax from furniture, read on!
Reader Success Stories
"My problem was different. I had a fair amount of spilled wax my stereo speakers, which are cloth and wood. After reading your article, I knew I couldn't use an iron to remove the wax. I did have a small clothes steamer, and I used it. Thanks for your advice."..." more
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
