Removing wax from cloth...

[StarEyedShelly]

Hello everyone! I thought this would be the best place to post this...

I'm a newbie pagan, so I just recently started construction of my altar. Improvising, I used a nice shawl that I have as an altar cloth. I also burn candles well, every night. And, as you can imagine...I've had a few wax spills on the cloth :rolleyes: Is there anyway to get it off? Not so much to be able to use it as a shawl again, but just so my altar looks a little neater? I've tried picking it off, but...it doesn't really work that well. I don't think I can really pick it off without damaging the fabric.

Anybody have any tips? :awilly: (Just because I love that icon...)

[VelvetBlade]

try icing it and then flicking it off.....

~VB

[Lunacie]

I haven't tried this, but I've heard the best thing is to put the cloth into the freezer for a couple of hours and then the ice should break off easily. Good luck.

Oh, and put your candles/candleholders onto a small saucer or something so it won't happen again.

[Morgandria]

Let the wax cool and pick/pull off any large clumps. Little drops that aren't thick are no big deal. What's left in the cloth can then be removed with an iron. Put 4-5 sheets of white, blank paper on either side of the wax stain, like a fabric sandwich, and press a hot iron over the paper until the wax melts. The paper will absorb it out of the fabric.

[Makas]

Let the wax cool and pick/pull off any large clumps. Little drops that aren't thick are no big deal. What's left in the cloth can then be removed with an iron. Put 4-5 sheets of white, blank paper on either side of the wax stain, like a fabric sandwich, and press a hot iron over the paper until the wax melts. The paper will absorb it out of the fabric.

Paper grocery bags seem to work better for me since they are thicker. Same idea though.

[Bec_W]

Depending on the kind of fabric the best thing I've found is to pick the bits off and either wash in hot water or rinse it in hot water.

[Amber Wynd]

Cool. I knocked over a candle on my altar a couple of weeks ago and couldn't get the wax out of the altar cloth. It's my favorite shawl, actually, so I was pretty upset at my clumsiness. Now all I have to do is find the iron. :)

[eldora_avalon]

Cool. I knocked over a candle on my altar a couple of weeks ago and couldn't get the wax out of the altar cloth. It's my favorite shawl, actually, so I was pretty upset at my clumsiness. Now all I have to do is find the iron. :)
:wave: Yeah, well you look for your iron, I'll look for my freezer. I have no idea where my iron is and I couldn't tell you when I used it last. I think my husband was the last one to use it :lol:

[Amber Wynd]

I actually might not have one any more. I don't buy clothes that have to be ironed.

[eldora_avalon]

I wonder if a curling iron would be big enough or get hot enough, hmmmmm...

[-Ember]

For the iron trick: slightly damp paper towels. They absorb things well. Keep a sprayer nearby to redampen them... you don't want to start them on fire.

[Dragonladyofwater]

The iron trick works great for parafin candles.

If you use all natural soy candles you can pick off the large clumps of wax, throw it in the washer and dryer and it will come out as good as new.