How to Get Wax Out of Clothing and Delicate Fabrics

How to Get Wax Out of Clothing and Delicate Fabrics

When you light up some candles your reality becomes a little magical: more inviting, more romantic, or if it’s for an important occasion such as Diwali, more celebratory. Unfortunately, candles also have the magic ability to leave wax in unexpected places … like on a favourite jersey or a silk robe.

When you know how to get wax off clothes this isn’t too much of a problem, but just how do you remove wax from clothes?

How To Get Candle Wax Off Clothes And Delicate Fabrics

Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to get wax out of clothing that’s a little fragile: these steps can help you remove wax from clothes gently.

1. Let the wax dry. Don’t try to remove wax from clothes while its wet, you’ll only spread it further. Leave the stain alone (difficult, we know) and let it harden completely. You can place an ice cube over it to speed up the process if need be.

2. Remove wax with a spoon. Work gently and only take off as much of the wax as peels away easily. Try not to tear the fabric or pull any of the threads by carefully skimming the spoon over the surface rather than digging in.

3. Sandwich the wax stain with blotting paper. You’ll be using this material to draw the remaining stain out with some heat in the next steps. No blotting paper? You can also use a kitchen towel but be careful: it can get stuck to fluffy fabrics like wool.

4. Iron the stain through a towel. You need to place the towel over the blotting paper to protect your fabric, but you should still set the iron to a low temperature as excessive heat can shrink and damage delicate fibres like silk and wool.

5. Repeat until the wax is removed. You can apply light pressure to the iron and should move it gently over the towel. Over time, the wax stain should soften and transfer from your clothing to the blotting paper.

6. Wash as usual. Follow the instructions on your clothing care label and choose an appropriate wash temperature, cycle, and detergent. We recommend a liquid detergent, like OMO Auto Washing Liquid, for delicate fabrics.

7. Dry the fabric carefully. You can use a tumble dryer for some fabrics but we recommend air drying naturally where you can. For delicate fabrics like silk and wool it is especially important to dry them naturally as the heat of a dryer could damage them. Simply lay them flat on a clean, dry towel and let Mother Nature do her thing.

Now you know how to get wax out of clothing, the next candle spill shouldn’t ruin your magical evening. After all, no one wants to let laundry get in the way of romance or spooky surprises!