Get Wax out of Fabrics and Carpet

It is very simple to get hardened wax out of your rug, clothes, or blankets.

Steps

  1. Obtain an iron and a brown grocery bag.
  2. Place the item on an ironing board (if dealing with a carpet, work directly on top of it. Also, heed warning listed below).
  3. Place one layer of the paper bag over the wax spot.
  4. With your iron on medium-high, iron over the paper bag in the area where the wax is. As the wax warms up it will either stick to or be absorbed by the grocery bag.
  5. Lift the paper bag and lay a clean section of it over any remaining wax and repeat the process.
  6. Be diligent. Work at it until all the wax is gone. You may need more than one paper bag, depending on the size of the hardened wax.
  7. Use a lower setting on the iron for delicate materials.
  8. Remove wax while hot. Quickly, while the wax is still liquid, remove any that is still stuck to the material or carpet.
  9. Wash the carpet with some soapy water or stain remover if the wax has left a stain.



Tips

  • Use a fine-toothed comb to pick out any small pieces of loose wax from a thick-fibered carpet.
  • Also try using paper towels instead of paper bags.
  • For clothes; treat as above then spray with Sticky Spot and Stain remover on the residual wax, then hot wash.
  • Add water to help remove the wax.

Warnings

  • Don't set the iron too high: the paper bag could catch on fire.
  • When working with carpet (or any delicate material), start with a low or medium iron setting. Increase the temperature as needed. Carpets and other materials can be made of a variety of fibers, some of which can melt under extreme heat.
  • Make sure that the paper bag is at least twice as large as the sole plate of your iron. Ironing off the paper could scorch, or melt, the material underneath.
  • A damp cloth may get the wax stuck on it if you are not careful.

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