The Edit — Home & Garden
How to Get Candle Wax Out of Carpet: Ice, Then an Iron
Freeze the wax for 10 minutes, chip it off, then lift the rest into paper towels with a warm iron. What Iowa State's extension service and the carpet industry advise, and 3 spot cleaners for the mark left.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out how to get candle wax out of carpet from Iowa State University’s extension service and the Carpet and Rug Institute, then 3 portable cleaners for rinsing the spot afterwards, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for Rinsing the spot
Watch for Spot cleaning only
Best for Storing in a cabinet
Watch for Smaller tanks
Best for Suction in a light machine
Watch for Newer model
Freeze the wax for 10 minutes, and keep the carpet dry
Hold a bag of ice or an ice pack on the wax for at least 10 minutes, Iowa State’s AnswerLine advises. Keep the meltwater out of the carpet: moisture makes the stain harder to remove. Frozen wax turns brittle, so the top layer chips away with a dull knife or a rounded spoon. The Carpet and Rug Institute says to break up solids and vacuum the pieces.
A warm iron lifts the wax left in the fibres
Step 2 is heat. Lay clean paper towels over the remaining wax and press with a warm iron. The wax melts into the towel. Use the point of the iron to reach down into the fibres, and move to a clean patch of towel each time it picks up wax, until nothing more transfers. Keep the iron warm rather than hot, and keep it moving.
Coloured wax leaves a dye mark: blot it with rubbing alcohol
A red or green candle can leave its colour after the wax is gone. Iowa State says to finish by blotting the area with rubbing alcohol. Test it first on a hidden patch of carpet, as the Carpet and Rug Institute advises for any spot solution, and blot from the edge toward the centre rather than rubbing. A non-flammable dry-cleaning solvent is the institute’s alternative.
Rinse the spot, because what’s left behind attracts dirt
Many spot-removal solutions leave a residue that attracts soil, the Carpet and Rug Institute warns, so rinse the area several times with lukewarm water and blot it dry. A portable cleaner does the rinse and the blot in one pass, without soaking the backing. The Bissell Little Green 1400B is the one owners reach for on spot stains, from Bissell’s long-running line.
BISSELL Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet Cleaner, 1400B
The portable cleaner owners reach for on spot stains, for rinsing out what solvent and wax leave behind.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Model | 1400B |
|---|---|
| Type | Portable spot cleaner |
A portable spot cleaner for the final rinse.
Buy it if
- Rinsing a treated spot without soaking the backing
Don't buy it if
- A whole room: it is a spot cleaner
The Little Green Mini is the smaller choice, with a self-cleaning HydroRinse hose and a size that fits in a cabinet.
BISSELL Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Cleaner, 4075
A smaller Little Green with HydroRinse self-cleaning, sized to store in a cabinet.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Model | 4075 |
|---|---|
| Hose | HydroRinse self-cleaning, per the listing |
A smaller Little Green, sized to store in a cabinet.
Buy it if
- An apartment with one cabinet to spare
Don't buy it if
- Big spills: the tanks are smaller
The Shark StainStriker PX221 is newer and lighter, with 2 tools, and Shark owners praise its suction and self-cleaning.
Shark StainStriker Portable Spot and Stain Cleaner, 2 Tools, PX221BRN
A newer, lighter Shark with 2 tools that owners praise for suction and self-cleaning.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Tools | 2 |
|---|---|
| Model | PX221BRN |
A newer, lighter Shark with strong suction.
Buy it if
- A buyer who wants strong suction in a light machine
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants a long owner track record: it is a newer model
The same rinse finishes the job on red wine on carpet, and the portable carpet cleaners guide compares all 6 machines.
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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