Lighting an aromatic candle fills the air with a sweet scent – sometimes romantic, while other times practical. However, spilled candle wax is not, especially when the melted wax ends up on delicate fabric. Learn how to get candle wax out of clothes with heat and safe cleaning solutions.
We’ve all been there. You light a candle and go to move it to another area of the room when you accidentally tilt it. The hot wax spills over the edge onto the carpet, tablecloth, or your clothes. What was meant to be a peaceful evening by candlelight turns into a panicked cleaning episode.
A wax stain is even more troubling than an oil stain since removing the hardened wax isn’t enough to get the cloth clean. The material still has a wax residue that looks similar to a grease stain, and special treatment is necessary to remove it completely.

- Ways to Remove Candle Wax From Clothes
- Does Candle Wax Come Out of Clothes?
- How to Remove Candle Wax From Clothing by Scraping
- Learn How to Get Candle Wax Out of Clothes
- Using a Hair Dryer to Get Wax Out of Clothes
- Boiling Water Will Remove Wax Residue From Fabric
- Soaking Clothes to Remove Candle Wax
- Does Vinegar Get Wax Off Clothes?
- Pretreating a Clothing Wax Stain
- Removing a Wax Stain in the Washing Machine
- Remove Wax Color Stains From Fabric
Ways to Remove Candle Wax From Clothes
While spilled wax is troubling, there are ways to remove a candle wax stain from fabric by taking the proper steps. Explore quick ways to get candle wax off fabric and clothing simply and effectively.
Does Candle Wax Come Out of Clothes?
If you’ve ever spilled molten wax from a candle on your skin, you understand how shockingly hot it is. What happens when it gets on fabric and does candle wax come out of clothes?
Candle Wax and Clothes
While cleaning takes patience and effort, removing spilled wax from the fabric and restoring its original appearance is possible. The key is to allow the wax to dry completely before you attempt to remove the stain.
If you need to speed up drying, try applying ice to the wax spot. Put a couple of ice cubes in a plastic bag, seal it shut, and hold it on the wax until it hardens.
How to Remove Candle Wax From Clothing by Scraping
Once the wax is dry, it’s time to take the first step to removing it from the fabric. Discover how to remove candle wax from clothing by gently scraping the excess wax from the surface.
A butter knife is helpful to get hard wax out of clothes. Hold the cloth taut, press the edge of a dull knife between the fabric and stain, and carefully push it away from you to lift the wax off the cloth. Use a spoon instead of a knife if the clothing item is delicate to prevent damage to the material.
Learn How to Get Candle Wax Out of Clothes
The best way for getting candle wax out of clothes is to apply heat and transfer the oily residue from the fabric to another surface. Use your clothes iron to lift candle wax or hair removal wax from clothing.
Lay the affected clothes on an ironing board and set the clothes iron to the low heat setting without steam. Place a brown paper bag over the waxy spot, and press the warm iron to the paper to transfer the wax from the fabric.
Check the brown paper to see if it’s picking up the wax, and replace it with fresh paper as needed until it is gone. Do not use a plastic bag for this technique since the hot iron melts the plastic, making the problem worse.
Using a Hair Dryer to Get Wax Out of Clothes
A blow dryer is a good alternative for removing a wax stain if you don’t have a clothes iron. Discover how to remove candle wax from clothing with a hair dryer and an old credit card.
Lay out the clothing with the stain facing outward and place paper towels on both sides of the affected fabric. Aim a blow dryer on medium heat at the stained area for five seconds. Blot excess wax with a paper towel, and repeat the process with fresh towels until you remove as much softened wax as possible.
Boiling Water Will Remove Wax Residue From Fabric
Another method for removing wax stains from clothing is to use very hot water to melt the residue and lift it from the fibers. Try boiling water and baking soda to remove the remaining wax from your clothes.
Pour water and baking soda into a pot large enough to accommodate your clothes, and use tongs to dunk the stained item into the water. Wait about a minute, pull the clothing out of the water, and continue dipping the item at one-minute intervals until the wax is gone.
Soaking Clothes to Remove Candle Wax
Does candle wax come out of clothes? Yes, it does, but it’s essential to remove as much of the wax first by scraping and heating before using a cleaner. Find out how to get dried wax off a coffee table or fabric by soaking it.
Fill a large bin or sink with hot water and add several squirts of Dawn dish soap. Agitate the water to create suds and soak the wax-stained item in the liquid until it cools. Rinse the clothes beneath warm, running water and check to see if any stain remains.
Does Vinegar Get Wax Off Clothes?
While many prefer a dry cleaning solvent, white vinegar is a great alternative. It does many things, from preserving food to removing mildew and mold, and it even removes wax residue from fabric. Get wax stains out of clothes with this versatile liquid.
Mix equal portions of white vinegar and warm water in a bowl, and dampen a cloth with the liquid. Lay the shirt on a flat, clean area and dab the cloth on the wax residue. Blot at the stain with cleaner until the wax is gone, and finish by rinsing the material in warm water.
Candle wax can get on other fabrics and surfaces. Cleaning wax off wallpaper with vinegar and hot water is the easiest solution to get dried wax off a wall.
Pretreating a Clothing Wax Stain
After removing as much of the hard wax from the clothing as you can and cleaning away the residue, it’s time for washing. Pretreat the item to ensure all the wax comes out during the final cleaning.
Spread the clothing on a clean area, and pour enough liquid laundry detergent on the stain to cover it. Rub the soap into the material with a clean rag and let it sit for five minutes before washing.
Removing a Wax Stain in the Washing Machine
The final step in the wax removal process is your washing machine. While it does not remove thick globs of wax, it works well for cleaning away an oily stain. Remove candle wax residue with your washer.
Place the garment by itself in the washing machine and add the recommended amount of heavy-duty laundry detergent. Clean the item with the hot water setting and see if any stain remains.
If the item is stain-free, transfer it to the clothes dryer. Otherwise, wash the clothing once more or use another stain removal treatment. Do not place clothes in the dryer if they still have wax on them to prevent the residue from sticking to the dryer drum.
Remove Wax Color Stains From Fabric
Check the garment after cleaning it in the washer. If dye remains on the fabric from colored wax, try an oxygen bleach product to remove it. This type of bleach is an excellent alternative to chlorine bleach and safe for most clothes.
Fill the OxiClean scoop to line four for every gallon of water, or read the directions if you’re using another oxygen bleach product. Swish the liquid to dissolve the bleach, and soak your garment in the solution for several hours or overnight. Rinse the item under running water and ensure all the wax color stain is gone.
A wax spill is problematic, whether on the carpet or your clothes since it’s not as easy to wipe away as food spills or coffee stains. However, removing the dried wax is easier than you think. Heat and stain treatments remove the wax residue, leaving the fabric clean.

We hope that learning how to get candle wax out of clothes keeps your candlelit evenings worry-free, and we’d love it if you’d share our tips for removing candle wax from clothing with the candle-lovers in your life on Facebook and Pinterest.