How to Remove Wax From Clothes
Ask a group of people about their perfect idea for a romantic date night, and one, if not more, of them is bound to mention candlelight dinners. Candles have that element to them that can make any room cozy, romantic, and serene. Besides the aesthetics of candle décor around your home, the pleasant fragrance of scented candles that make the space smell like heaven, and the cozy vibes, candles can sometimes become a nuisance when they start dripping. If you’ve ever encountered a waxy situation on your tablecloth or clothes, not all is lost. Here’s a step-by-step guide to removing it from your clothes instead of throwing them out:
1. Scrape Off the Excess
Don’t run to the bathroom sink and try cleaning the wax with water. Wax and water don’t go together, and the stains may settle down further in the fabric. Instead, let the wax dry and remove the excess layer off with a butter knife. This way, you’ll get a chunk removed before moving on to the next steps, making the process easier.
2. Iron it Out
Getting rid of a large portion of wax from your clothes in the washing machine won't work. You need to get as much of it as possible before tossing it in the washing machine. For this step, you'll be heating the wax and transferring it to an absorbent cloth. Using a clothing iron at the lowest heat setting, place the cloth between two layers of absorbent material, preferably blotting sheets or paper towels. For extremely delicate fabrics, put another cloth in between the iron and blotting paper. Iron the cloth while ensuring not to keep it at one spot for too long.
3. Pre-Treat Stains
You may want to pre-treat the oily stain left behind by the wax for light-colored garments before washing them. Use a gentle stain remover to pre-treat the stains. Pour a small amount of it directly on the stain and gently scrub with a toothbrush or any soft brush. If you don't have a stain remover on hand, a laundry detergent can do the trick too. But, double-check before using laundry detergents; you wouldn't want one that's too harsh, especially for delicate fabrics. Here's another tip experts swear by: carpet cleaners are incredibly handy for pretreating fabric stains. Just pour directly, scrub, let it sit, and remove the excess, as with any fabric stain remover!
4. Head Over to the Washing Machine
The mighty washing machine fights the final wrestling round for the leftover wax stains. For the best results, pour a gentle, eco-friendly laundry detergent directly over the wax stain before loading the cloth into the machine. Then, use the highest heat settings recommended for the fabric type and let the washing machine do the magic. If the stain resists, give it another wash. An additional tip is to use scented laundry detergents to make your clothes smell amazing when they come out of the washing machine!
5. Let it Dry
Lastly, let your clothing dry as per usual by air-drying or tumble-drying it. Both work, but for delicate fabrics, it's best to avoid an automatic dryer altogether. Alternatively, if air-drying takes too long in your area, you can use the dryer in a low-heat setting for a few minutes and put the cloth in a mesh bag before tumble-drying for added protection.
Final Take
The next time you’re about to give up on getting your clothes good as new after a wax stain, follow these steps, and it'll be like there was no wax on it in the first place!
