Removing wax from natural fabrics.
Clothing made from natural materials is always valued higher than synthetic, therefore stains on it are more painful. The spot from a wax candle has one feature, unlike many other pollution, it needs to be removed after complete drying. You need to wait until the viscous mass turns into a hard crust and gently scrape off the top layer of wax with a blunt object. This is the first thing to do with a stain, regardless of the type of fabric and the chosen method of cleansing it. For each type of fabric has its own folk ways to further remove stains from wax, you need to strictly adhere to them, so as not to spoil the thing completely.
A hot processing method is suitable if a thing made of wool, cotton or other dense fabric resistant to high temperatures has suffered. There are three ways of hot processing:
- You need to find a pair of cotton napkins or plain towels, put the affected thing between them and put it in this condition on the ironing board. The temperature on the iron you need to set the minimum, which is suitable for this type of fabric. If in doubt, you can look at the product tag, if it is still preserved. Iron the affected area several times and, if part of the stain remains, change the napkin and repeat the whole process again.
- If the clothes are made of thin fabric and you are afraid of damaging them with a hot iron, you can use a hairdryer instead. Then you only need one napkin, you need to press it to the affected area and heat it with a hair dryer. Under the influence of hot air, the wax will melt again and stick to the napkin. If it was not possible to remove the stain the first time, the procedure should be performed again.
- If the hair dryer seems to be too aggressive, you can use a steamer or an iron in a similar mode. The process is similar to the first method, but the iron is not required to be applied directly to the fabric, they need to be led over it so that the steam reaches the surface.
If you choose a hot processing method, you need to consider a few nuances. High temperatures can only be used to remove colorless wax, if the candles from which the fabric has suffered are colored, the dye can be absorbed into the fibers and it will be difficult to wash it. Secondly, after removing the wax stain, stains from it may remain, they can be removed with a cotton swab dipped in medical alcohol.
Suede clothes require special care, so ironing is not recommended, otherwise you can irreversibly ruin it. To remove the stain, hold the affected area over the steam from the kettle for a few minutes. When the stain from the candle melts, you need to blot it with a clean sponge, but not rubbing it into the fabric.
Another way to remove a stain from suede wax is to treat it with refined gasoline or turpentine. In the selected substance it is necessary to moisten a cotton pad and attach it to the stain from the candle for 15 to 20 minutes, then wash the thing manually in warm water and rinse thoroughly. For this purpose, you can prepare a special solution by mixing 50g of purified gasoline, 10g of wine alcohol and 35g of ammonia. A cotton pad dipped in such a mixture should be pressed to the fabric for only two minutes, otherwise the whole process is identical. The same method can be applied to remove stains from candles on velvet clothes.
How to clean synthetic fabric
A stain from synthetic fabric can also be removed using heat, but in this case it will have a slightly different character. You can also apply the method using an iron, but only if you are absolutely sure that the temperature is appropriate. Synthetic reacts more strongly to heat, the fibers can melt and the thing will be damaged. Therefore, the iron should be set to the minimum temperature in delicate ironing mode and use it only as a last resort.
The basic method of removing stains from a candle from synthetics is washing by hand. The required amount of water is poured into the basin at a temperature not exceeding 70 ° C; the exact figure should be looked at the product tag. The affected clothing is placed in water for a couple of minutes, after which the wax gets wet with a clean napkin. It should be done carefully, just pressing it to the spot, so as not to rub it.
Universal method
There is one way to remove the stain from almost any fabric, both natural and synthetic. It is extremely simple, you just need to freeze the affected thing, and you can easily get rid of the stain. The easiest option is to hang the thing on the balcony, if it's winter. After a couple of hours you need to scrape the stain with the blunt side of the knife and shake off the crumbs of wax.
If it is summer in the yard or you can’t hang a thing out in the cold, you can put it in the freezer for the same time. Only in this case it is necessary to put the clothes in the bag so that it does not get dirty and does not absorb the specific smell of frozen food. With the help of freezing, you can also remove wax from fur or leather.
Whatever method you choose, you can watch a video on how to properly carry out the purification procedure. It will be especially useful for those who are faced with a similar problem for the first time, in order not to aggravate it by chance and not to spoil the thing completely.
