Accidents and spills are a part of life, especially for those who are naturally clumsy. Cleaning up after wax is not only irritating but can be a daunting task. Candles, your own paraffin wax treatment, and body hair removal wax is sticky and messy.
Orange County Steam Masters would like to offer a method of removing wax stains and cleaning whichever wax form has blemished your carpet.
Even though you may think different wax calls for different methods, only one method is necessary, as all wax generally cleans the same. With that in mind, let’s get to it.
What You Need to Remove Wax & Clean Your Carpet Checklist
Ice cubes if wax is still soft and warm.
Butter knife or something similar with a dull edge.
Vacuum with hose attachments or a hand held.
Clean white cloth and/or cotton balls.
White paper towels or a few brown paper bags (with no printing of any kind on them).
Clothes iron.
Rubbing alcohol.
Spray bottle with clean water.
Sponge.
Heavy weights.
How to Remove Wax Stains and Clean your Carpet
1. If wax is still soft and warm, apply ice cubes on top to harden the surface. If it is already hard skip to #2.
2. Using your dull edge implement, carefully scrape away as much as you can. Be gentle in this process as you do not want to damage the carpet fibers.
3. Vacuum the bits of hard wax, you may have to repeat scraping and vacuuming if there is a lot for sufficient cleanup.
4. Warm up your clothes iron on the lowest setting, and be sure if it is equipped with a steaming feature, it is off. You do not want steam in this process.
5. Place either your paper towels or brown paper bag on top of the remaining waxy residue. If you do not have either, a plain white cloth will work but will ruined in the process so use one that you don’t mind gets tossed. Make sure your paper towels are plain and white, or the brown paper bag has no ink printed on it as this could transfer to the carpet, leaving with a more stubborn stain to deal with.
6. Gently press a corner or tip of iron onto the paper barrier, using circular patterns and light pressure. The idea is that warming the wax will transfer to the paper, but you do not want to scorch your carpet in the process, so do not leave the iron in one spot. Keep it moving.
7. If the there is more wax than paper can hold, simply use another, but be sure to dispose of the wax absorbed paper before you repeat the process so it doesn’t transfer back onto your carpet.
8. If there is a stain due to the dye from the wax, we will get to that now. Dab some rubbing alcohol onto either a white cloth or cotton ball.
9. Blot the stain and repeat until the dye has been removed.
10. Spray down the once blemished area with water, and sponge away any lingering composites.
11. Blot dry to remove as much excess water as possible.
12. Lie down a clean cloth or towel, and place weights on top and let dry overnight.
13. Vacuum the area after removing weights and towel.