How to remove wax from clothes

Wax stains are considered one of the most difficult and difficult to remove. As a result of heating, stearin or paraffin forms a sticky fatty base, which does not dissolve in hot water. A thing soiled in wax cannot be washed off with the usual washing powder or gel.

What to do if wax gets on your clothes

The hot wax easily penetrates the fabric structure, sticks the fibers together and hardens quickly. Even if you mechanically scraped off the hardened drop, the grease stain may remain. There are many ways to remove wax and wax contamination. It must be understood that there is no one-size-fits-all method for removing wax stains. Each method works with a specific type of fabric or surface.

In any case, cleaning the surface from wax is carried out in two stages:

• first get rid of the top layer, the visible part of the wax, using a pre-selected method;
• then clean up the residual grease stain.

Take your time if you've already stained your clothes with a candle. Not all fabrics will withstand overheating or being soaked in stain removers. Try to find out how to get the wax out and as much as possible about the material to be cleaned.

Follow a few simple rules:

1. Do not postpone the removal of contamination "for later". After a few days, the fresh stain turns into an old one, which will be difficult to get rid of.
2. Do not rub fresh wax over the material in the hope of “rubbing” the damaged area. This will allow the paraffin to penetrate deeper into the fibers and add stain removal work.
3. Wait for the soft, waxy texture to harden on the garment. This will not increase the damage area. And you can easily remove the top layer of paraffin or stearin.
4. Check the product label for all the care and cleaning information for the fabric it was sewn from.
5. If you plan on using a chemical stain remover, test it on an inconspicuous area. This way you can be sure not to completely ruin the item.
6. Drain contamination locally. If you plan to steam a wax spot, then hold a specific contaminated area of ​​the material over the steam, and not the entire thing.

Folk remedies for removing wax

Folk remedies will help you quickly and effectively get out of an unpleasant situation. To know how to remove candle wax from your clothes, it is sometimes enough to look in your kitchen or pharmacy cabinet.

Solvent

The solvent quickly removes grease stains left after contact with the candle.Before using this product, make sure the fabric is strong enough to withstand such liquids. You can make the mixture yourself by mixing gasoline (50 g), ethyl alcohol (10 g) and ammonia (35 g). Soak a cotton pad well and apply to the stain for a few minutes. Then wash the product in the usual way.

This option is suitable for removing wax from velvet fabrics. In addition to the solvent, you can use rubbing alcohol. It also perfectly removes all grease stains. If the smell of gasoline does not disappear from your clothes, use a fabric softener with a strong fragrance during the wash.

Ammonia

Ammonia is convenient to use on thin, lightweight materials that cannot be ironed. The product dissolves grease and hardened wax. In order not to spoil the thing, use ammonia diluted in water. Add a teaspoon of alcohol per liter of liquid. Soak a sponge or napkin in the prepared solution and gently blot the contaminated area. Try to soak the fibers of the fabric well with the ammonia solution. Then wash the product by hand or in the washing machine.

Turpentine

Turpentine is not suitable for use on delicate materials. Do not soak clothes in it. There is a risk that the fibers of the fabric may simply dissolve.

Soak a cotton pad or a piece of gauze in turpentine, apply to the stain for 5-15 minutes. Wash the item in warm water and rinse well. This method is good for removing old and greasy dirt.

Salt

Salt helps to remove the fatty stain left on the fabric. It is enough to spread the item on a flat surface, place a dense cardboard or foil backing under the dirty cloth and sprinkle with salt on the stain. After a while, wash the product with detergent.

The method is especially effective when combined with other folk cleansers. For example, a mixture of half a teaspoon of table salt and 3 tablespoons of ammonia has a destructive effect on grease stains.

Professional products for removing wax stains

Sometimes folk remedies do not completely eliminate pollution. Or, for example, you dropped a candle on a designer item or an expensive fur coat. And removing the stain at home is scary because of the fear of ruining the thing forever. In such cases, turn to professional cleaning.

Products that are sold for dry cleaners require careful personal protection and a well-ventilated area. Therefore, we advise you to turn to professionals, not to risk your health, or the people around you, or things dear to your heart.

Mechanical cleaning

Mechanical cleaning helps to remove wax deposits, drops and upper, bulky layers. Perform this method only after the wax texture has hardened and there is no risk of increasing the contamination area. In mechanical cleaning, accuracy and slowness of movements are important.

Scraping

It is convenient to scrape off hardened candle wax from the surface of the material. To do this, use a thin object with a dull surface or blade, such as a nail file, knife, plastic card, cream spatula.

Gently pry up a hard bead of wax at the base and remove from the fabric. In especially difficult cases, it will be necessary to remove the paraffin layer by layer, carefully removing the shavings and wax residues. Depending on the surface, the grease stain can be removed in any chosen manner.

Steam treatment

Steam removal is suitable for suede or heavy fabrics. The method requires accuracy, as it is easy to smear hot wax on the fabric. Pour water into a kettle or pot and bring to a boil. Stretch the cloth over the boiling liquid so that the steam passes through the fibers of the soiled area. Blot any drops of fat that come under the influence of steam with a napkin until the area is completely clean.

We heat with an iron and a hairdryer

The method of heating a candle spot with an iron or hairdryer is suitable for natural and unpainted wax stains. Any extraneous dye present in colored wax, when heated, is finally absorbed into the fabric. It is almost impossible to remove such a stain.

Heating can completely separate the wax from the fabric, provided that all the rules are followed:

1. If the iron has a steam function, turn it off. Only heating of the surface should be carried out without moistening.
2. Before heating, clean the stain as much as possible from the paraffin layer and shavings. Be especially careful to remove wax crumbs that are invisible but may leave additional stains when heated.
3. You should have everything at hand: a thick layer of cardboard so that the greasy layer does not seep onto the other side of the garment, paper napkins or towels, an iron or hair dryer, additional cotton cloth.
4. Preheat your iron or turn on your hair dryer. Observe the recommended temperature range for your fabric type.
5. Place a protective layer of heavy cardboard and several layers of tissue under the stain. Place a couple of napkins or towels on top of the fabric as well. Lay a cotton piece of fabric on top and iron with an iron. Or warm up with a hairdryer.
6. As soon as the napkin or towel has absorbed enough wax, the paper layers must be replaced with new ones. They perfectly absorb both wax and fat.
7. Wash the product according to the recommendations on the label.

Freeze

Freeze Wax Removal is suitable for silk, leather, denim and fur products where there is a high likelihood of damaging the color or texture of the material. There are several ways to quickly cool a thing:

• take the thing out to the balcony or hang it in the fresh air if you live in a region with a cold climate;
• attach a piece of ice wrapped in foil or cellophane so as not to wet the thing;
• place the item in the freezer or refrigerator for a while.

When cooled quickly, the candle spot hardens and is easily removed from the surface. Sometimes the wax build-up can be removed with fingernails or a fine-toothed comb if it is long pile or wool.

How to remove the stain correctly

The structure of the material plays an important role in the selection of the wax removal method. If the dress, for example, cannot be ironed, then the method of heating with an iron or hairdryer is not initially suitable. In this case, it is better to use ammonia or turpentine. Pay attention to what the buttons are made of, whether there is embroidery on the clothes, whether wax has got on the lace. These little things are important when the stain has to be removed from several types of fabrics at the same time.

With natural fabric

Natural fabrics include silk, wool, linen and others. To remove wax, use the most gentle and delicate methods possible. For example, try washing away a stain with dish soap:

1. Apply some gel to the damaged oily area.
2. Leave it on for a couple of hours, or better overnight.
3. There is no need to rinse clothes with dried gel. Can be sent directly to the washing machine for further cleaning in a suitable setting.
4. If hand wash is required, gently wash the item with a cleanser.

It is convenient to soak linen and denim in hot water. This approach is especially good for fresh stains, when the candle top layer has been removed and the grease stains have not yet eaten deep into the threads. Fabrics are perfectly cleaned of wax stains with an iron or hair dryer, since such material is not afraid of high temperatures.

Feature of synthetic material

Festive dresses and elegant costumes are most often created from synthetic material. It is these fabrics that are prone to stains from table and interior candles.

Such fabrics are afraid of high temperatures. Under strong heating, the surface of the material can shrink, deform and even instantly ignite.

1. First of all, try to get rid of the particles and crumbs of the cured wax as much as possible. It can be scraped off, cooled, or simply rubbed in your hands. Synthetic threads have a smooth structure that minimizes the absorption of grease or wax.
2. Use alcohol or thinner to remove stain residues.
3. Wash the item according to the care instructions.
4. Sometimes the dirt cannot be washed immediately, so repeat the procedure until the fabric is completely cleaned.

Jeans

Favorite jeans or a jacket made of denim material are particularly durable and wear resistant to the fibers of the fabric. Therefore, the material can be frozen, heated, washed, scraped or used with chemical stain removers. Often, cosmetic wax from beauty salons gets on jeans. Removing such stains is easy if you know how to remove wax from your clothes.

Clean the cloth pre-cooled in the freezer to remove any congealed candle drops and crumbs. Soak the garment for an hour in hot water and then machine wash at high temperatures. You can treat the stain with stain remover or dishwashing gel.

Skin

Removing wax from leather clothing is easy enough. You need to quickly cool the material, for example, in the refrigerator or with ice, and then remove the adhered candle bead. If a sticky, greasy layer remains, it can be wiped off with a cotton pad dipped in ammonia, turpentine or other solvent.

What to do with woolen items

Woolen fabric absorbs not only grease and foreign textures, but also odors. Such a thing should not be soaked in hot water; it is contraindicated to use aggressive chemical stain removers. Dishwashing detergent is suitable for cleaning wool. This is a delicate way to eliminate grease and not distort the shape of the product.

Use an iron to remove wax build-up. The wax is heated at a temperature of 42 degrees. Turn the iron on for woolen ironing. Cover the damaged area with paper towels, warm up and remove the candle stain. Then soak the item in dishwashing gel or powder for washing delicate fabrics.Wash gently and lay out on a horizontal surface to dry.

What to do if the wax is colored

Colored wax is unpleasant because, in addition to grease and candle stains, it stains the product in the shade of its dye. Therefore, it is impossible to heat the damaged area with an iron or a hairdryer, since the foreign pigment eats into the fabric structure even more. Use liquid cleaners such as rubbing alcohol, ammonia, or stain remover. Apply a small amount of product to a tissue and gently blot the area. Gradually, the dye will be absorbed by the multi-layered paper and there will be no trace of the stain.

How to remove an old stain

The good thing about wax stains is that they can be removed at any time. However, do not allow cases where fatty residues are firmly ingrained into the fabric. Old greasy dirt with a new adhering layer of dust is especially difficult to remove. The stain becomes difficult, since in addition to fat, ingrained dirt and other constituents are added here. In such cases, a combined method of removing dirt helps, for example, warm it up with an iron, and remove the remains with a stain remover. Or take the item to a dry cleaner.

Fighting wax stains is not difficult if you react in time and take the right action. Resist the first urge to wipe liquid wax from your clothing. Act intelligently and deliberately. And no stains are scary to your favorite clothes.

Video: how to remove wax from a candle from clothes