How to get candle wax out of clothes
For a wax stain on clothes, let the wax harden (freeze it if needed) and scrape it off, then sandwich the spot between paper towels and press with a warm iron, moving to clean towel until no more wax soaks in. Sponge the back with a prewash stain remover and wash. Wax is solid when cold and melts with heat, so you chip off what you can, melt the rest out into paper, and dissolve the oily film that's left.
- Best method
- Freeze and scrape, iron between paper towels, stain remover, wash
- Time
- 20 to 40 minutes plus a wash
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Stain type
- Wax, gum and resin
You will need
- Ice in a bag, or a freezer
- A dull knife or spoon
- Plain white paper towels
- An iron
- Prewash stain remover or dry-cleaning fluid
How to remove wax from clothes
- 1
Let the wax harden
Wait until the wax is completely cool. If it's still soft or doesn't pop off, put the garment in a bag in the freezer or hold a bag of ice on the spot.
Why: Cold wax is brittle and lifts off in flakes. Warm wax smears into the weave.
- 2
Scrape off the surface wax
Flex the fabric to crack the wax, then scrape it away with a dull knife or spoon. Shake the flakes off outside or over a trash can.
Why: Removing the bulk mechanically leaves only the thin layer inside the yarns for the next step.
- 3
Iron the rest out between paper towels
Put plain white paper towels above and below the spot and press with a warm iron, on the lowest setting that melts the wax and that the fabric allows. Move to clean paper as the wax soaks in, until no more transfers.
Why: Heat re-melts the wax and the paper wicks it out of the yarns. Fresh paper keeps you from pressing wax back in.
- 4
Sponge the back with stain remover
Lay the spot face down on a clean towel and sponge the back with a prewash stain remover or dry-cleaning fluid. Blot and let it dry.
Why: Wax is oil-soluble, not water-soluble. A solvent dissolves the faint greasy film the iron leaves behind.
- 5
Wash as the label allows
Launder the garment normally, following its care label.
Why: Washing removes the solvent and any last residue.
- 6
Bleach leftover candle color, then air-dry
If the candle was colored and a tint remains, rewash with oxygen bleach (or chlorine bleach on white fabric that allows it). Air-dry and check before using the dryer.
Why: Candle dye is a separate dye stain once the wax is gone, and dryer heat can make it harder to bleach out.
Why you use heat on wax but not on most stains
Candle wax, whether paraffin, soy or beeswax, is solid at room temperature and melts with heat. When it drips onto fabric, it soaks into the yarns as a liquid, then hardens around the fibers. It doesn't dissolve in water, so a plain wash can't remove it, and a hot wash just melts and spreads it. That makes it a wax-type stain: harden it to chip it, or melt it into something absorbent.
The iron step works because you control where the melted wax goes: into the paper towel, not deeper into the garment. Colored candles add a second problem, the dye, which the University of Kentucky treats as part of a combination stain. That's why the last step is often bleach. Carpet needs a gentler version of this method; see wax on carpet.
By situation
Colored candle wax
Remove the wax first with the freeze, scrape and iron steps. Then treat the color: on whites, chlorine bleach if the label allows; on colors, oxygen bleach only, after a seam test. Don't put it in the dryer until the color is gone.
Wax that went through the wash or dryer
It may have spread into a greasy patch and onto other items in the load. Repeat the paper-towel and iron step and the solvent sponging on each spot, then rewash, and treat any leftover color with a bleach safe for the fabric.
Synthetic and heat-sensitive fabrics
Polyester, acrylic and spandex are heat-sensitive. Use the lowest iron setting that melts the wax, keep the paper towels between the iron and the fabric, and check the care label's iron symbol first.
Silk, velvet, acetate and dry-clean-only items
Scrape off what you can gently, but skip the iron and solvent. Take the item to a cleaner and tell them it's candle wax.
Wax on a tablecloth
Treat it exactly like clothing: harden, scrape, iron between paper towels, sponge with stain remover, then wash. Bleach any color from colored candles if the fabric allows it.
What not to do
- Don't wash in hot water before removing the wax. Hot water melts wax and spreads it through the garment and onto other clothes.
- Don't iron straight onto the wax. Without paper towels, the wax spreads and coats both the iron and the fabric.
- Don't iron over solvent. Dry-cleaning fluids can be flammable. Do the iron step first, or let any solvent evaporate fully before heat.
Other methods that work
Hair dryer instead of an iron
Warm air re-melts wax so you can blot it into a paper towel, the same principle as ironing. It isn't from a stain guide, so treat it as traditional, with weak evidence.
Caution: Keep the heat moderate, and blot as you go so colored wax doesn't spread.
Brown paper bag instead of paper towels
Plain, unprinted brown paper is often used in place of paper towels to absorb melted wax. Traditional, with weak evidence.
Caution: Avoid printed paper, which can transfer ink to the fabric.
Stain still there?
A dark, greasy-looking patch remains
That's a wax film still in the fibers. Sponge the back with prewash stain remover or dry-cleaning fluid again, let it dry, and wash.
The wax smeared instead of flaking off
It wasn't cold enough. Freeze the garment longer, then scrape quickly.
A colored ring stayed after the wax was gone
That's candle dye. Soak in oxygen bleach, or use chlorine bleach on whites that allow it, and wash again before drying.
Safety
- Never apply an iron to fabric that's still damp with solvent.
- Use dry-cleaning fluid in a ventilated room away from flames.
Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.
Questions
How do you get candle wax out of fabric?
Harden and scrape off the wax, iron the rest out between paper towels until no more transfers, sponge the back with a prewash stain remover, and wash.
Does freezing get wax out of clothes?
Freezing makes the wax brittle so most of it flakes off, but it leaves a thin layer in the fibers. The iron and paper-towel step removes that.
Will candle wax come out in the wash?
No. Wax doesn't dissolve in water, and a hot wash melts and spreads it. Remove it first, then wash.
How do you get colored wax out of clothes?
Remove the wax first, then treat the leftover color with oxygen bleach, or chlorine bleach on whites that allow it. Check before drying.
Wax on other surfaces
Other stains on clothes
Sources
- Stain Removal Guide, American Cleaning Institute
- Common Holiday Stain Removal Guide (AnswerLine), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Holiday Stains (AnswerLine), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Stain Removal for Washable Fabrics (HE 2-840), University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
- A General Guide to Stain Removal (Extension Bulletin E-1453), Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service (archived bulletin)
- Understand Your Fibers, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.