- Place a bag of ice cubes over the wax to harden it, or set your tablecloth in the freezer. Then, scrape off the hardened wax with a dull knife or your fingers.
- Then, place the wax stain between paper towels. Glide over it with an iron on medium-low heat to melt the wax into the paper.
- Blot remaining wax residue with rubbing alcohol or acetone, then wash the tablecloth in your laundry machine.
Removing Candle Wax from Table Linens
Harden the wax in the freezer or with ice cubes. If the wax on your tablecloth is still wet, let it solidify and harden before removing it. Just fold your tablecloth and place it in your freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Or, place a handful of ice cubes in a plastic bag and rest it over the wax for several minutes.
Scrape off the wax with a butter knife or your fingers. Once the wax has hardened, take a blunt, dull butterknife and slowly chip away at it, being careful not to pierce the tablecloth underneath. Or, pull the tablecloth taut and simply peel off the wax with your fingers. Alternatively, use a plastic spatula instead of a knife. Work extra carefully if you’re removing wax from more delicate materials, like lace.
Iron any remaining wax between paper towels on medium heat. Place several paper towels on your ironing board and set your tablecloth on top with the wax facing the towels. Then, set paper towels over the stain on the other side. Turn your iron to medium heat and then glide it over the wax to melt it into the paper towels. Alternatively, use a brown paper bag (without writing on it), transfer paper, parchment paper, or wax paper in place of paper towels. When you see the wax melting into the paper towels, shift them to a clean spot. Just keep rotating the paper and ironing until the wax is all melted. Set your iron to low if you’re ironing delicate fabrics like lace or silk. Or, set it to higher heat if you’re ironing a more durable fabric like cotton. Do not use heat on plastic or vinyl tablecloths, as they can melt. If you still have waxy residue after scraping off the wax, wipe it with an all-purpose cleaner.
Blot any remaining wax or oil stains with rubbing alcohol, then launder. After removing the wax, you might be left with an oily wax stain. Just dampen a clean cloth with rubbing alcohol and dab it into the stain to dissolve the oil and any remaining wax. Then, wash your tablecloth in your machine according to its washing directions. Patch test your tablecloth first to ensure the rubbing alcohol won’t stain. Just find a hidden section of cloth, like a corner, and apply a few drops of alcohol. Then, wait for the spots to dry. If there’s no discoloration, it’s safe to use. Do not rub the stain, as this can cause it to spread. Alternatively, use acetone (nail polish) instead of rubbing alcohol. Just patch-test before you use it, too. Or, apply a commercial stain remover on top of the stain before washing your tablecloth. Do not use rubbing alcohol or acetone on delicate or synthetic fabrics like silk, wool, modacrylic, acetate (rayon), or triacetate, as they can dissolve.
Cleaning Wax from Hard Surfaces
Melt the wax with a hair dryer set to medium. If candle wax also melted onto your table, counter, floor, or other piece of hard, non-upholstered furniture, it’s easy to remove. Just get out a hair dryer, set it to medium heat, and blast it about 3 inches (7.6 cm) above the wax until it’s soft.
Dab the wax with a clean cloth or towel. Take a clean cloth, press it into the softened wax, and gently pick up the wax. This removes the wax with minimal staining to your furniture. Do not wipe up the wax, as that can cause it to spread and stain your furniture. If there are chunks of wax left behind, reheat them with the hair dryer and dab them with a clean cloth.
Clean off any waxy residue with white vinegar and water. Mix 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water in a bowl. Then, dip a clean cloth inside, wring out the excess moisture, and wipe off any remaining wax.
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