Remember the candle-wax covered Chianti bottle? It’s become almost obsolete thanks to today’s drip-proof candles. But as we discovered last weekend at the Remodelista Market in Marin, California, when there are candles and tablecloths, telltale splashes and puddles have a way of getting left behind.
As a lifelong creator of these after effects at parties—in my defense, I ask you: Who can resist holding wax to flame and watching it liquefy?—I’ve had to figure out what to do the day after. In the first of our Domestic Science Tips series, here’s how to remove wax from fabric.
Above: Photograph of Martin Margiela's Candle Holder via Totokaelo.
Using a blunt knife gently scrape off what you can.
Above: Photograph via Woman's Day.
Tip: To speed removal, put the fabric in the freezer for about 30 minutes or so. Wax lifts off more easily when it’s frozen. Alternatively, set a hair dryer on low heat and hold over clinging wax until it just starts to soften. That, too, eases removal.
Next, assess the situation and take one of the following actions:
Iron out the puddles.
Above: Photograph via wikiHow.
A remedy that’s been around at least since Mrs. Beeton published her Book of Household Management in 1861: On an ironing board, sandwich the wax-infused section of the cloth with brown paper bags, kraft paper, paper towels, or other absorbent materials and briefly hold an iron on a low-heat setting over the section to blot out the melted wax. Do this in stages, refreshing your blotting paper as you go, until the wax is removed. Two tips: To protect your iron and ironing board, use layers of blotting paper. If the wax stain is on the surface only and your fabric is thick, you can simply flip it and iron the underside, using blotting paper under the wax only.
Apply the hot water treatment.
Above: Photograph via Coco Lapine Design.
Stretch the wax-splashed section of tablecloth over a collander using a rubber band around the bowl's edge to hold the fabric taut. Place in a sink and pour boiling water over the area to melt away the stains. Tip: Pouring the water from a height speeds the flow.
Discovered other ways to rid tablecloths of wax? Share your finds in the Comments section.
Go to Domestic Science to see more of our household remedies, including the only two ingredients you need to keep your fridge smelling fresh. And did you know that vinegar deters ants? It's one of Sarah's 10 Ways to Use Vinegar in the Home.
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