Home Cleaning Cleaning How-Tos How to Remove Wax From Carpet Dealing with wax spills can be a pain—but removing them is completely possible. By Mary Marlowe Leverette Mary Marlowe Leverette Mary Marlowe Leverette has over four decades of experience and has been writing and consulting for more than 20 years sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, stain removal methods, and textile conservation. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 24, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Considerations Before You Begin How to Remove Wax From Carpet More Tips Close Photo: Anastasiia Krivenok/Getty Images Project Overview Skill Level: Beginner It happens. A candle drips or gets knocked over and once you make sure the flame is out, you discover wax on the carpet. Don't panic. Removal is simple if you have a bit of patience. Below, we have all the info you need to learn how to remove wax from carpet, plus some tips to be sure no residue is left behind. Save your rugs and carpets with these simple steps. How to Clean Rugs and Carpets Considerations Before You Begin If the wax lands on an area rug placed over a hardwood floor, you'll need to take extra precautions to protect your floor underneath. Before treating any lingering traces of wax with a liquid solution, put a plastic trash bag under the area that needs cleaning to protect the pad and the floor from moisture that can darken the wood. After treatment, be sure the rug and pad are completely dry before removing the trash bag. You can use the same products and steps to remove wax from upholstery. Just make sure that you don't over-saturate the fabric and the cushion filling because too much moisture can cause problems with mold. Add a circulating fan nearby to speed up drying. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Sealable plastic food storage bag Old credit card, dull knife, or spoon Vacuum Iron Materials Ice cubes Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol Oxygen-based bleach powder or hydrogen peroxide Paper towels Instructions How to Remove Wax From Carpet Chill the Wax It's a mistake to attempt to remove the wax while it's still liquid or soft. Wiping up the hot wax will only push it deeper into the carpet fibers. Place several ice cubes in a sealable plastic food storage bag.Place the bag on the carpet or rug over the wax drips.Leave it alone for at least 10 minutes. Scrape Away the Wax Once the wax is solid and hard, use the edge of an old credit card, dull kitchen knife, or spoon to scrape it off the carpet fibers.Work gently and in layers if the wax doesn't pop off right away.Use a vacuum to suck away the loosened bits as you work. Get Rid of Residual Wax in the Fibers Some wax may still be stuck to the carpet fibers, it should be removed or the sticky surface can cling to dust and dirt. Place at least five layers of white paper towels over the stain.Set an iron to warm (Usually setting 2 or 3 on an iron). Do not use a very hot iron because it could melt the carpet fibers.Press over the stack of paper towels to soften the wax so the oily stain is absorbed into the towels.Replace or move to a clean area of the paper towels as the wax is transferred.Repeat until no more wax is absorbed. Remove Traces of Dye If the candle contains dye and traces of color remain on the carpet, there are several ways to remove the stain once the wax is gone. For any color or type of carpet: Pour a few drops of rubbing alcohol on the stained area and blot with a paper towel. Repeat until the color is gone.For any color or type of carpet, except wool: Make a paste of powdered oxygen-based bleach (OxiClean) and a small amount of water. Spread the paste on the dye stain and leave it for at least four hours. Vacuum away the powder.For any type of white carpet: Dab the stain with hydrogen peroxide that will act as a bleach to remove the stain. Tips to Remove Candle Wax From Carpet Once traces of the wax are gone, vacuum the carpet well to lift and restore the fibers. If the affected area seems to attract dirt, repeat the steps because this means there is still residual wax in the carpet fibers. Shag carpet requires more effort to remove wax. Repeat the steps several times to make sure you have completely gotten the wax out of the fibers down to the backing. If the carpet (or upholstery) is vintage, apply the dye removal cleaning solutions in a hidden spot to check that the dyes are stable, or contact a professional.