One of THE most common questions.
Some people wont light a candle for fear of it melting and ending up on a beautiful tablecloth
With removal of all the waxes you must let them dry with the exception of the soy. If you happen to know what kind of wax the candle is made from it helps so start by check the packaging. If you have been to one of my workshops you will know what kind of wax you have used in your candles.
Types of wax and removal
- Soy wax – Soluble in water (Melts at around 49 degrees C) which we use here at Candle Towers – wash off walls, clothing and soft furnishings with soap and water. If there is excess, just scrape it off gently first making sure you put those scrapings in the food bin.
- Paraffin- Insoluble in water (melts around 49 degrees C)
- Beeswax – Insoluble in water( melts at around 65 degrees C ) Because Beeswax is so hard, plastic almost. It is best to get the wax as cold as possible, perhaps a small bag of ice or pop it in the freezer.
Hairdryers for wax removal
So if you have beeswax candle wax on your wall, which is very common. What you need to do is get a dry rag and a hairdryer, pop the hairdryer on a warm heat and aim at the waxy area on the wall, rubbing very gently at the wax turning the cloth every so often. If it is Soy wax, just hot soapy water will remove the wax. Paraffin is the same as Beeswax. If you have Beeswax on your utensils you can fill a pan or vessel enough to cover what you need to clean. Add very hot water to loosen the wax then wipe away, you can use some vegetable oil then washing liquid. ( be careful when handling hot liquid)
If there is any wax residue never pour down a drain or toilet. Pour into your food bin.
Irons for wax removal
When your wax is on the carpet or a piece of clothing you need to get some brown paper and an Iron. With the Iron on medium heat put the brown paper over the wax and very gently press the iron down briefly. You will see the wax absorb into the brown paper, move it to a clean patch on the paper and repeat.
As an additional bonus if you are trying to get wax out of a candle glass and it’s not soy (if you are unsure and you put it under a tap and the water runs off it is probably paraffin or beeswax) which you would wash with soap and water. You can pop the vessel into the freezer, the wax will contract and you can easily pop it out.
When you come along to a workshop you will learn how to create a candle that has no soy wax left in the bottom at the end of its burn time. To book your workshop check out dates here and we look forward to welcoming you soon.
