How to get candle wax out of a rug

Do not wipe it while it is warm

Warm wax is liquid, and wiping pushes it deeper into the pile and spreads it wider. Leave it alone until it sets.

Freeze it and break it off

Put ice cubes in a plastic bag, wrap the bag in a thin towel and hold it on the wax for a few minutes. The towel keeps the rug dry.

Once the wax is hard and brittle, flex the pile gently and lift the pieces with the back of a butter knife or a spoon. Work with the direction of the pile, not against it. Vacuum the crumbs as you go.

Lift what is left with gentle heat

A thin film usually stays in the fibers. Lay a plain white paper towel or a brown paper bag over it. Warm the paper with a hair dryer, or with an iron on a low setting held lightly and moved constantly. The wax melts into the paper.

Move to a clean part of the paper each time it picks up wax, and repeat until nothing more comes up. Use short bursts of heat. Wool can scorch and synthetic fibers can melt, so never leave the iron resting in one place.

If a mark remains

Colored candles can leave a tint after the wax is gone. Dab the spot with a white cloth dampened with a little mild, clear dish soap in water, working from the outside in, then blot with plain water and dry the spot flat.

Test any cleaner first on a hidden corner, because some rug dyes bleed. If the mark stays, or the rug is old or valuable, take it to a rug cleaner rather than trying stronger products.

Silk and art silk

Do not use heat or water on silk or art silk (viscose) without advice. Heat can mark silk, and water can leave viscose stiff and yellowed. Harden and lift the wax, then let a professional remove the rest.

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