How to Remove Candle Wax from a Wooden Floor

how to remove candle wax from wooden floor

You light your favorite candle, and then someone bumps into it, spilling the wax all over your wooden floors.

While you might think you’re dealing with a disaster, removing wax from a wood floor is easy to do – you just need the right tools.

Here’s how to remove candle wax from a wooden floor.

Jump to:

What’s the Best Way to Remove Candle Wax from a Wooden Floor?

To remove candle wax from a wooden floor, you first need to let it fully harden. If the spilled wax isn’t hard yet, hold an ice cube on it to speed up the process. Next, use a flexible plastic card (like a store reward card) to gently scrape the wax off the floor. Finally, wipe the area with a wet cloth to remove any remaining residue.

Top Ways to Remove Candle Wax from a Wooden Floor

Ice Cube + Plastic Scraper (For Thick Drops)

The best way to remove candle wax from a wood floor is to scrape it off with a plastic card or a soft plastic spatula. Of course, for this to work, the wax needs to be dry.

(This method works best for thick drops of wax.)

Here’s what to do:

First, hold an ice cube over the wax until it hardens.
Next, use your plastic spatula or card to gently loosen the wax from the floor.
Finally, throw away the loosened wax.

Be very careful when you scrape the wax so that you don’t scratch up the floor. Only use soft, flexible plastic to do this.

Hair Dryer + Paper Towel (For Thin Splashes)

Sometimes when candle wax splashes, a very thin layer will coat the floor, and scraping won’t work.

In this case, you need to heat the wax so that it liquefies, and then you can wipe it up.

To get started, you’ll need a blow dryer and a paper towel or clean cloth.

Here’s how to remove wax with a hairdryer and paper towel:

Holding the blow dryer about a foot away from the wax, turn it on high heat setting and position it toward the wax.
Once the wax has melted, use your paper towel to wipe it up.

Afterward, mop your floors with your regular mopping solution.

GooGone (Leftover Stains)

If you’ve removed the bulk of the wax from your floors, but stains are left behind, you can use GooGone to remove them. Simply spray GooGone on the stain and then wipe it off with a clean cloth.

If you’re dealing with stubborn stains, you may need to let the GooGone sit for a couple of minutes before wiping it up.

Will Candle Wax Ruin Hardwood Floors?

If you’re wondering if candle wax will ruin hardwood floors, it might.

The heat from the wax can leave white spots on your floors even after cleaning it up. Also, if your floors are very light or you haven’t sealed them, bright color waxes may leave behind a stain – especially if left to sit for a while. This is why it’s essential to clean up candle wax as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use mineral spirits to remove candle wax from wood?

Mineral Spirits is a solvent, so it could potentially remove candle wax from wood. However, you should save it for the last resort since there are much easier ways to do this – like scraping the wax with a plastic spatula.

How do I get Scentsy wax off of a wood floor?

The steps for getting Scentsy wax off a wood floor are the same for removing candle wax. Start by trying to scrape dried wax with a plastic spatula. If that doesn’t work, heat the wax with your blow dryer until it liquefies, and then wipe it up with a paper towel.

How do I remove candle wax from laminate flooring?

Since laminate floors are usually very slick, removing candle wax from them is easy. All you need to do is allow the wax to dry and then scrape it off with a plastic spatula.

Conclusion

If you’re wondering how to remove candle wax from a wooden floor, the process is straightforward. Start by allowing the wax to dry, and then attempt to scrape off as much of it as you can with a plastic card or spatula.

Any remaining wax can be heated up with a blow dryer and wiped away. If stains are left behind, try treating them with a bit of GooGone.