How to Get Candle Wax Out of Carpet

Knowing how to get candle wax off carpet is useful, whether you'd like to deep clean your carpet to get it looking like new again or make quick fixes in your apartment to get your full bond back once your lease is up.

Removing spilled candle wax from your carpet doesn't have to be stressful, time-consuming or expensive. So, how do you remove candle wax from carpets quickly and easily? All you need are the right cleaning methods and tools. Here are some pro tips on the best ways to get wax out of carpets and rugs.

How to get wax off carpet

One of the most reliable ways to remove wax from carpet is by using items you already have at home.

You will need:

• A plastic bag of ice cubes or an ice pack
• Butter knife
• A paper towel, a thin tea towel or a brown paper bag
• An iron set to low heat
• Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaner
• Vacuum cleaner

Step 1: Freeze the wax

Start by pressing your bag of ice or ice pack onto the dried wax for about 10 minutes to freeze the wax so it hardens. Make sure it isn’t getting wet from your ice pack, as excess moisture will make the wax drips harder to remove. Use your tea towel or paper towel to prevent this if needed.

Step 2: Scrape off the frozen wax

Once the wax is frozen, use your butter knife to scrape as much wax as possible off the carpet or rug. Be gentle during this process so you don’t fray your carpet fibres! Berber carpets, in particular, need special care as the loops can fray easily. Then, simply vacuum up the wax pieces that you scraped off.

Step 3: Heat and absorb the stubborn wax

Now, you can target the wax that has dripped deep into your carpet fabric. Place a paper towel, paper bag or cloth on top of the remaining wax. Turn your iron on at its lowest temperature setting and make sure the steam function is turned off. Run the iron over the paper or towel several times; the wax will start to heat up.

As the towel starts to absorb the wax, reposition it several times so that the clean areas can continue to pick up more remnants. Continue this process until all of the wax is absorbed. If you don’t have an iron, you can also use a hairdryer for this step. Keep the hair dryer at least 20cm away from the paper to avoid burning it.

Step 4: Spot clean the affected area

The last step in removing wax from your carpet is to use a high-quality carpet cleaner, stain remover or spot remover. This will be particularly important if the wax is coloured, as the dye could stain your carpet.

Gently dab the wax stain, taking care not to damage the carpet fibres, until the last traces of wax and colour are removed. Once your carpet has air-dried, use your vacuum to restore the carpet's texture. In most cases, your carpet will look as good as new!

You can also use this method to remove wax drips on most types of fabric couches and chairs.

Check out our Stain Removal guide for other carpet cleaning tips.

Wax removal tip: Act quickly on carpet!

It’s important to get candle wax drips out of your carpet as soon as you notice them. While it is still possible to remove old wax, you will achieve better, faster results if you don’t leave the wax too long.

If all else fails: try a Rug Doctor machine to remove wax

Got extra-tough or old wax stains? After following the above steps for wax removal follow with Rug Doctor’s deep cleaning machines to give you the same results as a professional carpet cleaner. Remove residue with our portable spot cleaner, or hire/own a Rug Doctor X3 machine.

You can find convenient hire locations across New Zealand using our Store Locator.

Good luck removing your wax spills and returning your carpets and rugs to their former glory!

Updated July 15, 2025

Author: Gina Gibbs

Gina is the Business Manager at Rug Doctor NZ. With over 20 years at Rug Doctor, she's dedicated to helping New Zealanders keep their homes clean and healthy. Outside of work, Gina enjoys hiking, reading, and enjoying Vietnamese and Asian fusion cuisine. Oh, and let's not forget her expertise in cleaning up after everyone, especially her two kids!