How to clean the carpet from wax?

The invariable attribute of any holiday is candles. The light of a living flame adds to the holiday solemnity, chamberness and secular pathos. However, the use of candles to decorate a room or cakes can lead to wax stains on the most inappropriate surfaces, including carpets. It is especially difficult to remove a paraffin stain from the surface of a long-pile carpet. Today we will tell you how to clean the carpet from wax, so as not to damage it, and what preventive measures will help you not to spoil the carpet with candles.

to contents ↑

How to clean the carpet from wax candles?

If you find drops of wax on the palace after a children's holiday, birthday, or a romantic dinner, first make sure that this is a natural product and not an artificial analogue, since you will have to influence paraffin a little differently to get a positive result.

What is wax?

Wax is an organic compound that is secreted by the special glands of bees. A complex compound is reproduced during the life of honey plants.

According to its characteristics, wax refers to solids. Has a honey smell. The color of the wax is from white to yellow-brown. An organic compound at a temperature of +35 degrees becomes plastic, and at a higher temperature (62-68 degrees) it melts.

Important! Beeswax is not soluble in cold alcohol, nor in glycerin, nor in water. But it is well soluble in essential oils, fats, gasoline, paraffin, turpentine and ether.

How to start carpet cleaning?

Knowing the features of the material, you can easily get rid of it. But before moving on to solving the problem, listen to the following tips:

1. Wait until the wax has completely hardened, even if a crust has formed, as the wax may still be hot inside the stain, which is dangerous for the skin of the hands.
2. After the contamination has hardened, scrape off excess wax with a non-sharp object. Remove small crumbs remaining during the cleaning process with a vacuum cleaner.
3. After preliminary cleaning measures, proceed to remove greasy stains.

Use the following methods to quickly clean carpet from traces of molten wax.

Method number 1. Freezing

This method will help give the wax stain hardness and make it stronger, which will greatly facilitate the cleaning process.

Proceed as follows to clean the carpet from wax:

1. Pack ice in a plastic bag.
2. Apply ice to the problem area. Cool the stain as much as possible.
3. Give the stain time to harden.
4. Use a blunt knife to scrape off any dirt.
5. Vacuum the surface of the coating.
6. Let the carpet cool.
7. Spray a cleaner over the problem area. This can be a carpet spray or a dry cleaning solvent.

Important! Before using this or that product, be sure to test it on an inconspicuous area of ​​the coating, as some dyes dissolve easily and white spots may remain on the surface.

8. You can use alcohol to clean the stain. Clean the problem area with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
9. Dry the treated area with napkins or dry rags.

Important! Pouring alcohol onto the carpet is strictly prohibited, as the material may fade.

If you were not able to remove the stain completely, then do not be upset, but proceed to the second method.

Method number 2. Melting

This technique is effective for both fresh spots and dried contamination.

Wax Removal Instructions:

1. Place a paper towel or folded brown paper bag on the stain. A grocery bag or breakfast bag is suitable.
2. Turn on the iron and set the lowest temperature. Be sure to turn off the steam function.
3. Warm a paper bag or towel slowly.
4. Change a paper towel or paper as it is saturated with wax.
5. After the stain no longer appears on the paper, turn off the iron and proceed to remove the remaining stains using alcohol or carpet spray.
6. Put a clean cloth on the treated area and place an iron on it, but with the steam function turned on. All residual dirt is absorbed from the carpet into the fabric.
7. Vacuum the pile to return the coating intact.

Advice:

1. Do not heat the iron too much. This will not give a quick result, but a household appliance can scorch the pile. An iron set to a low temperature will slowly melt the wax, but the paper will not light up.
2. As an alternative to the iron, you can use a hairdryer or a hot spoon. If you use paper towels instead of tight bags, then using a hairdryer is safer, as you can easily control the amount of heat that is given off by the device. Make sure that the hairdryer is not too close to the surface of the palace, and that the household appliance does not overheat.
3. If you are dealing with colored wax, then dyes can leave stable multi-colored stains on the carpet. Therefore, after using one of the methods of removing wax to remove stains, use a special carpet cleaner.

to contents ↑

How to clean paraffin wax from a carpet?

If paraffin gets on the carpet surface, it must be removed as quickly as possible to avoid absorption of other impurities into its surface. To clean the surface of paraffin, use the time-tested folk methods described above. And in the absence of the necessary effect, use non-aggressive solvents that are always at hand:

• Salt.
• Table vinegar.
• Baking soda.
• Ammonia.
• Turpentine.
• Petrol.
• Kerosene.
• Acetone.
• White Spirit.
• Detergent.

The quick positive result of solving the problem is guaranteed by the following methods.

Method number 1. Salt + Vinegar + Soda

To prepare the solution, mix soda, salt and table vinegar in equal proportions.

Proceed as follows to clean the paraffin from the carpet:

1. Grind the resulting composition into a homogeneous mass.
2. Apply on stain.
3. Leave the mixture to dry completely.
4. Use a soft brush to clean the surface of the composition that has dissolved and absorbed paraffin.

Method number 2. Turpentine and ammonia

This method is suitable for light carpeting.

Proceed as follows:

1. Mix ammonia and turpentine in equal amounts.
2. Apply the resulting composition to the problem area with a sponge. Apply the product with rubbing movements.
3. Leave the mixture for 30 minutes.
4. Use a soft brush to remove any residue.
5. Dry the carpet under natural conditions.

Important! Do not use heaters or a hairdryer to dry the palace, as this can lead to deformation of the surface of the product.

Method number 3. Aggressive

If the pollution is very massive, problematic and “refuses to go away” using the above methods, then use the aggressive cleaning method - use one of the solvents: white spirit, kerosene, refined gasoline or acetone.

Important! Use funds very carefully. First, test their effects on an inconspicuous surface so as not to burn out the color of the product with an aggressive solvent.In addition, be sure to conduct surface treatment with a pungent odor substance in a well-ventilated area using personal protective equipment.

Use solvents to clean the paraffin from the carpet as follows:

1. Dampen a cotton pad.
2. Thoroughly treat the problem area with a damp disc.
3. After achieving the desired result, conduct the traditional cleaning of the palace with a professional product (shampoo, powder, carpet spray) or folk remedy.
4. Ventilate and dry the product.

Important! If you are afraid that alcohol or another household product may harm the product, then use a mild soap solution to remove the stain from the candle:

• Prepare it as follows: 1 teaspoon of liquid soap or dishwashing detergent in 1 liter of warm water.
• Clean the problem area with detergent.
• After the oily sheen has disappeared, rinse the surface with clean water to remove any residual solution.
• After cleaning, allow the body to dry under natural conditions.

Advice:

• Do not leave any contamination or its residues without cleaning, as even transparent paraffin will fade over time and turn into a stain that quickly collects dirt.
• When working with long nap, be especially careful, try to influence only the surface layer of the carpet.
• Restore especially delicate products is best entrusted to professionals, especially when it comes to carpets made of natural fur.
• For the final cleaning of the carpet surface, use special household chemicals marked “for carpets”. When buying a product, do not forget to clarify for which coatings and colors you can use it so as not to spoil the product.

to contents ↑

Preventive measures

In order not to spoil the carpet with candles, adhere to the following rules:

1. Buy only quality candles. Ideally, the composition of the candle should include: paraffin, stearic acid, aromatic fragrances and dyes. It is stearic acid that helps to burn paraffin so that the amount of wax flowing from the candle is minimal.
2. Place candles correctly. They should be in candle holders with a large bowl for collecting wax.
3. After using candles, always remove any wax from candle holders.
4. Do not place candles near a window or a fan, as currents of air will tilt the flame and melt the candle more strongly.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

We hope that thanks to our recommendations, you have managed to get rid of stains of molten wax, and now nothing will stop you from enjoying the holiday on a clean and fresh carpet. And in order to solve the problem as rarely as possible, how to clean the carpet from wax, adhere to the rules of prevention.