How can I remove / clean up candle wax from carpet?

Candle wax was warming up in a dish. I moved to fast and it spilt onto the carpet. I have let it dry and some came clean but not all. What can I do to get the rest of it out ?
  31 answers
  • Michelle Dodson Michelle Dodson on Nov 02, 2016
    Place several paper towels over the wax and iron (no steam) on a medium setting. It will remove the wax, but possibly not the stain from such light colored carpet.
  • Pam Lewandowski Pam Lewandowski on Nov 02, 2016
    As Michelle mentioned --- hot iron and several paper towels!! I actually did the same thing the vinyl flooring!!
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Nov 02, 2016
    Or the reverse and use ice cubes letting it sit on long enough to harden the wax.
  • Cara Cara on Nov 03, 2016
    Paper bags work well with the iron
  • Debbie Reed Debbie Reed on Nov 03, 2016
    I get blotting paper and warm my iron until it''s very warm and lay down the blotting paper and go over each area of wax and "iron" the wax up. Sometimes after cooling you may see some left over wax-just repeat the process. I think the paper towels would work, however my rug man suggested the blotting paper, especially on my oriental rugs.
  • Susan Caswell Susan Caswell on Nov 03, 2016
    I would try the ice first. Seems like heat would cause it to soak down into fibers.
  • Lisa Gismondi Lisa Gismondi on Nov 03, 2016
    A product called Wax Away is great. Just test carpet first. Get it a Michaels or Walmart or Joanns
  • Eloise Eloise on Nov 03, 2016
    Search Pinterest for the solution you think will work best for you. Also read article (w/pictures) at The Family Handyman. Links here: https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&... http://www.familyhandyman.com/cleaning/how-to...
  • Kel8735663 Kel8735663 on Nov 03, 2016
    warm iron, no steam, over a paper bag. the wax melts and gets sucked into the paper. use new sections of bag each time you go over a spot.
  • Marketing with Amanda Marketing with Amanda on Nov 03, 2016
    Use a paper bag from any grocer along with an iron. Lay the paper bag on the carpet and begin moving it around with the hot iron it. Make sure you have plenty of bag so you can continue to remove it and use clean pieces; the wax will suck up fast. If you end up with little hues of green, try spritzing peroxide on it, little bits at a time. Spritz, wait a few hours, spritz, wait a few hours, etc. I used to have a brilliant white carpet with kids and pets...carpet guy gave me the peroxide tip and it's invaluable.
  • Cin10085113 Cin10085113 on Nov 03, 2016
    Take bounty paper towels and lay on wax spots, take an iron (no steam) on warm setting and place on paper towel, do not move around, replace paper towel and repeat until all the wax has been absorbed. Use carpet cleaner with h2o2 to spray on any color that has remained and follow instructions on label.
  • Rene Rivera Wilson Rene Rivera Wilson on Nov 03, 2016
    I use a warm iron and an old towel, I find the wax clings to the old towel better than a paper bag but same concept.
  • Micki Scagliotti Micki Scagliotti on Nov 03, 2016
    Candle wax can vary in hardness. If it's a cheap candle, the dark coloring will most likely not come out but you will be able to soak up most of the wax with a paper bag and iron. You can also use paper towels and a hair dryer, but this works better for softer, usually higher grade wax. Once you remove the wax as best you can, try using the laundry bar Zote to spot clean the color. Good luck!
  • Jeanne Martin Jeanne Martin on Nov 03, 2016
    I'd be afraid of staining the carpet (more than it might be already) by melting it again with an iron. I've used ice cubes in a baggie and lay it on the dripped wax to get it as cold as possible. You should be able to pick off the hardened pieces fairly easy. I've done this successfully but did have a couple of small stains that remained. This is very time consuming but I laid down on the floor and with a tiny pair of very sharp scissors I trimmed off each stained fiber. Don't go too short if you help it. It worked and the trimmed area is not noticeable at all. This would not work with looped carpet like a berber but mine was just a regular short nap carpet.
    • See 1 previous
    • Jeanne Martin Jeanne Martin on Nov 03, 2016
      I wonder if you could dab a little (with a q-tip) Rits dye remover on the remaining stain? Rits dye remover worked on a shirt that got another color on it from washing it in a washing machine (where did that new red sock come from?!) so maybe it would work for you in small amounts. It did not do anything to my shirt's original color...only removed the overall pink. Might be worth a try...I don't think it could make it worse!
  • Jane Jane on Nov 03, 2016
    I agree with Jeanne...I wouldn't melt that dark wax into my carpet any more than it already is. Use the ice method and scrape off the hard wax while holding a vacuum hose over it so it won't fall back into the carpet. If there is any stain left, you might try FOLEX instant carpet spot remover. It works magic on almost any stain. I got mine at Lowe's. A great product that I use all the time.
  • Kmeeks Kmeeks on Nov 03, 2016
    I take wax paper and lay on the carpet. Use a warm, not hot iron and keep ironing over it until it comes up. You may have to change the wax paper a time or two. The wax adheres to the wax paper, since they're both wax. I've heard that coke or beer will take the stain out, but I haven't tried it.
  • Ava Lansbery Ava Lansbery on Nov 03, 2016
    I've used a warm iron with paper towel. The dark wax will be a problem. It's dye may be permanent.
  • Hal Hal on Nov 03, 2016
    wax paper and iron for wax removal. If it is a question of the stain try drops of hydrogen peroxide and blot blot blot with a clean cloth or paper towel
  • Sus10985952 Sus10985952 on Nov 03, 2016
    I've used a warm iron with a brown paper grocery bag. Be careful NOT to use the part that has the printing on it. That ink will definitely stain your carpet. Keep changing the paper as it picks up the wax. It takes a little while, but I had red wax on a beige carpet and got it all up.
  • Jewell Jewell on Nov 03, 2016
    The same thing happened to me.....a friend told me to take wet cloth and a hot iron and lay the wet cloth over the wax and iron it... I did what she told me and all of it came up...no more red wax on my carpet....I was a happy camper....
  • IFortuna IFortuna on Nov 03, 2016
    If it stains there is an Oxy Clean product that will probably work. : )
  • A  faye king A faye king on Nov 03, 2016
    Goof Off - Which is sold at Home Depot. It got candle wax out of my light colored carpet. It is strong so you will have to turn on you fan
  • Place a paper towel over the. Wax and iron It of course check if rug resists the hot iron Blot it with clean paper towel.
  • Fluffette Fluffette on Nov 04, 2016
    Take a hand towel and place it over the wax then run a hot iron over it until the wax is completely removed. Then use a product called didi7 to remove the stain. I have used didi7 on indigo blue modeling paint on my carpet and the color came right up but didnt damage the color of my carpet.
  • Melissa Melissa on Nov 05, 2016
    Place paper towels over the wax and with iron on low iron over it. The paper towel will absorb the wax as it melts.
  • Frances Frances on Nov 06, 2016
    try using a strip of plain brown paper and a hot iron. place the brown paper over the candle wax and iron with hot iron. it should melt and the brown paper will absorb the wax
  • Darlene Mulligan Darlene Mulligan on Jan 10, 2017

    The only problem with melting wax with your iron is that you can be left with melted wax in the base layer of your carpet. Also, not every type rug will tolerate the heat of the iron, so proceed with great caution. Try a sample section (on a spot under the couch for example?) I've had success with using ice cubes (same method of getting bubble gum out of your kids hair!) to make the wax even harder, then carefully break the pieces off the rug, leaving only the last little bits of wax that has gotten into the fibres. THEN use the iron method for only the very last of the wax.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Mar 14, 2024

    Scrape off as much as you can and then freeze the spots with ice or a cold pack and pick at them until there are only tiny spots left. Use a brown paper bag, make sure there is not lettering facing the rug and iron, no steam. Check often to see it coming up.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Mar 15, 2024

    Spread kitchen roll or old towel etc. on carpet over candle wax. Use an iron to melt the wax and catch it into the paper/towel.