Wednesday, November 19, 2008

TIP FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER

Remember this next week. To remove candle wax that has dripped on your Thanksgiving tablecloth, first harden the wax by putting a plastic sandwich bag filled with ice on it. Next, scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife or a credit card. Put the tablecloth between two pieces of paper from a brown paper bag and iron the "sandwich" on low heat until the remaining wax melts into the paper. Wash the tablecloth with a detergent.

4 comments:

giff said...

Even more effective - Get a can of compressed air usually used for blowing dut off of your keyboard - most computer accessory stores carry it.

Turn the can upside down and give the wax a quick spray. This will instantly freeze it and make it trivial to peel off.

NB When upside down the spray is liquid and really cold. Don't spray yourself.

Unknown said...

Better yet, don't use petroleum-based candles. Try pure soy wax candles: they're healthier because they emit almost no soot into your air AND, if any of the hot wax drips on your tablecloth, wait until it dries completely, scrape off as much as you can, then wash with warm water and soap or detergent to completely remove any residue. Soy wax will not stain and is biodegradable so it won't clog your plumbing, either in your washing machine or your dishwasher if you'd like to clean out the candle holder, too. Another good thing about soy wax is that the "hot" wax isn't hot enough to scald a child - or anyone else, for that matter - no petroleum means a cooler, cleaner burn.

antique linen cupboard said...

Ironing candle wax: Ironing candle wax between blotting paper will only drive the stain deeper into the fabric. This process is widely used, but it's not recommended because it will make any color from the dye of the candle more permanently set and the wax more inaccessible for the detergent or solvent to reach to carry the stain away. So if your cloth is a different colour to the candle - don't iron!

Anonymous said...

Spilled wax on purse. Scraped off as much as possible. Poured boiling water over the spots and it melted the wax and washed it away. No residue was left.