Remove Wax from Carpet

Want to make sure you'll get your security deposit back? Try this almost foolproof method to getting wax out of your carpet. Your carpet will be wax free in minutes! Read on.

Steps

Freezing It Out

1. Place a bag of ice over the stain. This will harden it and solidify it, making it easier to pick off. When it's completely solid, remove and set aside.
   • Get the stain as cold as possible. Ice packs, a frozen slab of meat -- whatever you have handy, apply it to the wax. Let it set for a few minutes until you're positive the wax is frozen.
2. Grab a butter knife and chip away at the stain. Getting rid of as much of it as possible prior to actually cleaning it will make the process ultimately more successful. The less wax you have to tackle in the end, the better.
   • If you can't get much up, don't worry. That's fine. Move to method two (uses an iron and melts away the wax) if a substantial amount is left over.
3. Spray the area with cleaner once the wax is gone. Either a carpet spray or cleaning solvent is fine. If a bit of a stain is left from the dye, rub with rubbing alcohol to remove the color. After applying any solvent, blot with a clean rag and fresh water to remove any leftover residue.
4. Vacuum the area. The carpet has just been through a pretty harrowing experience. Vacuum it to return it to the texture it was originally.

Melting It Away

1. Place a sheet of brown paper bag (not plastic!) over the spot. A bag from the grocery store or a lunch bag will do the job. Place it at the edge of the stain.
   • Place a towel under the part of the bag that's not on top of the stain. You'll be moving the bag as the wax saturates it and don't want to spread the mess any further.
2. Set iron at a warm setting. Do not get it too hot as it will melt the bag. Also, do not use a steam setting. You just want the heat.
3. Iron over the paper bag, slowly. Wax will absorb onto the paper bag and out of the carpet. As it saturates, slide it out onto the towel, exposing the wax to a new part of the bag that's not covered in wax.
   • Move to a clean part of the paper bag as the spot is saturated. Don't leave the iron on any spot for too long; you don't want to end up burning anything and exacerbating your problem. When the stain stops appearing on the paper, lift it up carefully and see what you're left with.
   • If there's more wax to be gotten, repeat. It should all come up eventually.
4. Rub any remaining stains with rubbing alcohol. Place a cloth over the stain and reapply the iron with the steam setting on. The dye should seep into the cloth and away from the carpet.
5. Spray the area with carpet spray or a cleaning solvent for good measure. You can then either take a cloth to it to blot it or lay the cloth on top of the sprayed area and iron it with the steam setting on, just the same as you would with the rubbing alcohol in the aforementioned step.
   • If the carpet seems a little worse for the wear, try vacuuming it. That may rejuvenate it to its former, healthy-looking state.

Tips

• As a variation, you can also use a hair dryer. This is especially a good idea if you want to use paper towels instead, because the amount of heat applied is less and easier to control. Make sure you don't hold the hair dryer too close, or it will overheat.
• If the wax is the colored kind, the dyes may be permanent in different colored carpet. If so, try the process, then use a carpet cleaner to get the stains out.
• If you can't reach the wax with a blow dryer or iron and you don't have an extension cord, heat up a pot or pan on the stove, then rub it over a folded paper towel. You may have to do this several times, not just once, so try not to get frustrated with the process.

Warnings

• Do not set the iron on the paper long enough that you smell burning seeing that paper is combustible. If the iron is at the low setting that will melt the wax and it will not have a chance to catch the paper on fire.

Things You'll Need

Method One: Freezing It Out

• Ice/ice pack/something frozen
• Butter knife/credit card/scraper
• Carpet cleaner or cleaning solvent
• Rubbing alcohol (optional)
• Vacuum (optional)

Method Two: Melting It Away

• Paper bag
• Iron
• Towel
• Spare cloth
• Rubbing alcohol (optional)
• Vacuum (optional)

Related Articles

• Remove Wax from Clothing
• Remove Wax from Concrete
• Clean up Melted Plastic and Wax
• Remove Grease Stains
• Remove Urine Odors and Stains Permanently

Sources and Citations

• http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-wax-from-carpet/
• http://www.wisegeek.org/how-do-i-remove-wax-from-carpet.htm
• http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-get-candle-wax-out-of-carpet.htm

See also

• Stop Carpet Stains from Resurfacing
• Dewax a Table
• Clean Car Carpet Stains
• Get Paint Out of Carpet
• Get Dog Urine Smell out of Carpets
• Remove Wax from Upholstery
• Clean Crayon off Painted Walls
• Remove Pet Urine from Carpet
• Clean Pet Vomit from Carpet
• Make a Carpet Cleaning Solution

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