What’s the Best Way to Remove Candle-Wax Stains?

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Q: A customer brought us a tablecloth that was stained with candle wax. What’s the best way to remove this type of stain?

A: First, you’ll need to gently scrape the excess wax from the surface of the fabric with a spatula or the edge of a spoon. Some of the wax will have worked its way into the fabric, however, so you’ll need to take care of that as well.

Because wax is soluble in solvent, it’s best to spot the remaining wax with volatile dry solvent (VDS). You can also dryclean the entire tablecloth, but make sure to test it for colorfastness first.

If some of the dye from the wax remains, the tablecloth may need wet-side spotting and bleaching.

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