You have wax spilt all over your beautiful carpet and now you are worrying about how to remove it. You might think that it will damage those soft carpet fibers when scraped off but you are panicking for nothing. Instead of thinking that the spilled wax will leave a permanent stain, you need to think about the right approach of how to get wax out of the carpet. To help you with this, we have brought to you an easy method on how to get wax out of carpet.
Understand The Type Of Wax Spilt On Carpet
Before you start with any method of getting wax out of your carpet, you need to know what type of wax has actually spilled. Candle waxes are generally of two types Paraffin Wax and Soy Wax.
- Paraffin is a derivative of petroleum and has a much higher melting point. This wax can also leave a stain that will sink deep into carpet fibers.
- Soy wax is derived from plants, and its melting point is lower. Compared to paraffin wax, it is easier to remove.
Step By Step Process To Get Wax Out Of Carpet
Follow these easy steps to the letter, and you will be able to remove wax from your carpet quickly.
1: Gather The Supplies
You need to have all the supplies in place for removing the wax before you start the process. You will need these materials.
- A plastic bag
- Ice
- A spoon or a knife
- Clean cloth
- An Iron
- Carpet Cleaner
- Vacuum Cleaner
2. Harden The Watery Wax
Liquid wax is much harder to remove than hardened wax. To remove it, you first need to harden it, which will also make scraping it off easier. For this, put some ice in a plastic bag and lay it over the wax-sprinkled area of your wall to wall carpet. Let the ice bag sit for 10 minutes. When you remove it, the wax will have hardened perfectly.
3. Time To Scrape It Off
With the spilled wax hardened, scraping it off will be much easier with a blunt tool like a butter knife or a spoon. Use either of these tools to carefully scrape off the hardened wax from your living room carpet. Be gentle in your scraping, starting from the edges of the wax spill and moving inward to avoid damaging the fibers. As you scrape off the wax, collect it to throw away. You should repeat this step several times, depending upon the amount of wax spilled.
4. Lifting Away Leftover Wax Spill
The above method will undoubtedly remove most of the wax spill, but some wax will remain deeply embedded in the carpet fiber. If you have carpet tiles, one piece of them can be removed easily. But to remove wax, we will use the Heat Lift technique in the following simple steps.
- Place a piece of clean cloth on the residual wax spill. This cloth will absorb the wax when it is melted.
- Take your Iron, set it on low heat, and press it over the cloth you placed earlier.
- The wax will melt under this heat but be sure to move the iron in a circular motion to melt all the wax.
- Check to see the progress of your work from time to time. If there is much leftover wax spill, then replace the cloth.
5. Time To Clean Your Carpet
Now, the carpet is free from all the wax, both visible and the one that penetrated deep into the fibers. It’s time to clean the carpet to restore it to its previous appearance. Use a quality cleaner recommended for your carpet fabric type.
Rubbing alcohol is also a great solution for cleaning the carpet. Instead of rubbing, blot the carpet to remove leftover wax residue. Clean the carpet with a clean cloth dampened with water and then dry it off with a dry paper towel or cloth.
6. Vacuum Thoroughly
Lastly, you should restore the appearance and textured look of your bedroom carpet, and vacuuming it is the best way. Using a vacuum cleaner will extend those carpet fibers up and any minute wax particles will also be sucked away.
Cleaning Tips For Individual Types of Waxes
There are also many other subtypes within the main types of candle wax, each with its own approach to cleaning wax spills.
Colored Wax
This wax has color dyes in it, and removing the stains can be a lot more challenging. Follow the above-stated method, and then, to remove the color dyes, use a white vinegar and water solution. Apply this solution with a piece of clean cloth.
Scented Wax
The biggest problem with scented candles is their oily residue. To remove that oily residue from the carpet underlay, follow the above steps and sprinkle some baking soda on the treated area. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. It will absorb any oily residue from wax spills, and you can easily vacuum it off.
Tips To Prevent Future Mishaps Of Wax Spill
Candle wax can be spilled at any time but you can take some preventive measures to reduce the risk of it happening. Some of these tips are as follows.
- Make use of a candle holder with a wide enough base to collect dripping wax.
- Always place your candle holders on a stable surface so they don’t tip over.
- Do not keep your candle holders near high foot traffic areas where someone can tip them over.
Conclusion
To conclude, we agree that wax spills can be very annoying to deal with. But a little bit of patience and prompt action with the right techniques will help clean the wax and its residual stains quickly. Prevention against wax spills must be your number one priority with the right candle use practices.
