How to take candle wax off of a wooden surface.

[liberdave]

Have you ever dropped wax on a wooden surface and scratched the finish trying to get it off? Well, here's how you do it without killing the surface.

1) Use a blow dryer. Hold it about 2 or 3 inches from the wax until the wax starts to melt.

2)Once the wax starts to bead and liquefy, use a paper towel to absorb the wax.

3) If any residue is left, use some Windex or any other soft solvent.

I bet this would work on cloth too, if you happen to get some on some clothes, but I haven't tested this method on fabric yet.

Actually, an iron and some paper towels would work on the fabric.

[vulnera]

great tips, liberdave..!

my candlewax tip is more for glass... super simple, lol. save the free fake credit cards you get in the mail. theyre perfect for removing annoying wax driplets and buildup from glass, tile etc. even old caked on stuff.

using a heavy hand, simply shave/scrape off. most wax will easily pop off and this method doesnt leave much leftover residue on the glass at all. :)

[Stritheil]

Paper towels and an iron do work well with fabric but I've found that if wood is painted or varnished, it's difficult to get the wax off without damaging the paint or varnish. Getting wax off plain wood is much easier.

[vulnera]

accidents with strongly colored candles can permanently discolor wood, even if its been varnished should hot wax be allowed to cool onto the surface. i have a horrible big pink mark from a red candle that overflowed its boundaries on one of my favorite tables. it sucks.


i highly recommend using an extra large platter for added protection with red or black candles especially... as far as my life's accidental candle mishaps those have been the most damaging.

using a candle similar in color to the wood or its stain will enhance the color tho, and is a good way to "finish" wooden and other organic objects such as grasses and stuff.

here is a thread concerning natural dyes and pigments that can be used to color homemade candles, cloth etc:

http://www.occultcorpus.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1469

[Dark Moon]

Thank you for this topic. The blow drying sounds excellent. I stopped using Altar cloths due to hot wax burning little holes in them, and now the dilemma of having the wax stain the wood has been disheartening. I will try this next time! ;)