Your candle-lit party is over. Time to bid adieu to friends and family. All you have is yourself and a lot of mess. You’re off to House Cleaning now. Then you spotted your tablecloths are just full of melted candle wax. What should you do?
While it could be tempting to drop everything off at the laundry machine, please don’t you’ll only make it worse. Waxes are insoluble in water. Only the hottest water will melt it. Washing it right away with cold water will only allow the stain to set in.
House Cleaning Irvine got some tips on how to remove candle wax from tablecloths like a pro.
House Cleaning Tip#1
- Scrape off excess wax using a dull knife.
- Next, what could be the best way to remove solids but turn them back to liquid? Melt the remaining candle wax using a hairdryer. Remember to wrap towels around the stains as they will be absorbing the melted candle.
- You got rid of the wax, but you are left with an oily residue. Yes, some candles are with essential oils. To remove, dab a rubbing alcohol-dipped cotton onto the stain and repeat as necessary until no oil traces remain.
- Voila! Time to launder them as usual, and you may go on House Cleaning.
House Cleaning Tip #2
- Suppose your freezer’s got enough space to house your tablecloth, time to put your linen in. If not, save up some ice cubes from the party or make use of an ice pack. Freezing wax causes it to shrink and harden. Thus it’ll be easier for you to get rid of it.
- Once the cold temperature starts to harden the wax, pull the fabric out, and you should be able to crack the candle wax easily into smaller pieces.
- After which, you got two options: Wash the affected area with boiling water to further melt the stain. But if oil is evident, sprinkle baking soda over the stained area. Leave it on for 15-30 minutes, just enough time for baking soda’s grease-cutting power to work.
- Then, wash as usual. Easy peasy!
House Cleaning Tip #3
- Whether the hot water tip or the cold temperature is right for you, light-colored tablecloths will still have some residue after getting rid of the melted wax.
- Some House Cleaning tips you might consider are:
- Sprinkle table salt onto the stained area.
- Use fabric stain removers.
- Try applying nail polish removers/acetone. If they work on nails, they might work on fabrics too.
- Dry-cleaning – this shall be your final option when all House Cleaning DIY tips fail.
House Cleaning Irvine truly understands how candles change a party’s ambiance. To avoid future occurrences, you may want to consider placing a flat mirror under the candles. This hack will prevent hot melted wax from coming in direct contact with your tablecloth. Plus, mirrors will reflect the light your candles provide – giving the room a more dramatic mood.
