Seems like everyone gets candle wax on a carpet or rug at some point in their lifetime. It also seems many people have posted suggestions on how to remove it. Overall it is relatively simple, you just need to follow the right steps to get the best results.
The wax can be anything from a few drops to a large spill.
First, always try to remove as much excess wax as you can from the carpet fibers. To do this, take a dull knife and gently scrape off as much of the wax from the carpet fibers as possible, being careful not to distort the fibers themselves. Next vacuum up any loose wax that you have scraped off.
This second step is where you will get a lot of different information. Some professionals will say dissolve the remaining wax with a solvent, some people will say absorb the balance of the wax into a cloth or brown paper bag using an iron to melt the wax. At this point, there is usually too much wax still on the fibers to try to just dissolve it with a solvent. Using too much solvent could cause problems with the latex backing on the carpet and weaken the overall structure in that area, causing either bubbling in that area or even worse.
The correct procedure would be to use a white cotton cloth instead of a brown paper bag. Although both are made of cellulose materials, the cotton cloth is thicker and will have a greater absorption of the wax. Another mistake people often make is using too hot of a setting on the iron or they go over it to slowly and burn, melt or scorch the rug fibers. To help prevent this, I find the best way is to wet the white cotton cloth first and then wring out any excess moisture.
Next place the damp cloth over the area of the carpet that contains any remaining wax. Use an iron on medium heat and slowly move the iron back and forth for approximately 5 seconds at a time. This will heat the moisture in the cloth turning it to steam and melt the remaining wax, which will be a much slower and safer way than using dry heat alone. The more you go over it, the more the wax will also absorb into the cloth. Keep lifting the cloth every 5 seconds and checking your progress and once you see the wax transferring into the cloth, move to a clean section of the cloth and repeat.
By, removing as much wax as possible before starting a heat transfer process with the damp cloth and iron, you are reducing the amount of color or dye that may be in the wax that is in contact with your rug fibers and therefore reducing the chance of leaving any color behind.
If there still seems to be a slight waxy residual left behind, now would be the time to use a solvent or a product such as goo gone to dissolve any remaining wax. Just be sure to use sparingly and to apply to a clean white cloth first then lightly go over the waxy area of any fibers and let dry.
If you have left a colored stain behind from the dye in the wax, you need to realize this is a synthetic dye and the best way to remove any remaining color would be to call a professional carpet cleaner who should use a reducing agent on it to remove the color. The use of a reducing agent will alter the molecular structure of the dye by removing a molecule of oxygen from its makeup and render it invisible to the human eye. The use of any other spot cleaners or detergents is not recommended.
With over 50 years of experience, we have found this to be not only the most effective way but the safest way to remove wax from a carpet. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at http://www.Alecscarpetandupholsterycleaning.com. Alec's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning LLC