Wax? No Problem – Tips for Carpet Care

The dinner party has gone perfectly.  The food was fantastic, the wine was flowing, and nobody spilled anything on your new carpeting.  After your guests have gone, you and your spouse are cleaning up some of the remnants of the gathering when you suddenly bump into the coffee table, toppling a candle, and spilling wax onto the carpet.  Time seems to stop!One of the biggest fears for anyone with carpeting throughout their home is the spilling of wax.  Not only can it stain the underlying carpeting, but it can also damage the fibers that provide the soft, comfortable feel.  If you don’t want to give a particular area of your carpet a “buzz cut”, you should likely become quite familiar with the following information. It will help you to handle wax spillage properly, saving your carpeting and eliminating any stresses associated with the damage that has occurred.Let It CoolWhile your first instinct may be to start cleaning up the wax right away, you should actually let it cool.  If you try to extract the wax from the carpeting right away, you’ll only smear it and entrench it in the fibers of the carpet.  Begin Pulling Large DepositsGet a tool such as some cutlery and begin pulling the large, dried wax pieces from the carpeting.  We’ll be bringing a carpet cleaning service in later, so for now, you’re simply trying to limit the damage.  It is worth noting, however, that you should be careful not to cut too deeply, as it can ruin the backing.Break Out the VacuumNow that you’ve loosened the larger wax pieces, it’s time to vacuum it all up.  This ensures that the chunks are not melted again (with our next step in mind) and returned into the carpet fibers.Ironing with a Paper BagTake a brown paper bag and a clothes iron.  Cover the entire spill and gently iron the bag that is over the wax on a LOW setting.  Once you run it across the paper bag that is covering the entire area, you should start to notice significant removal of wax within the carpet fibers.  Do not apply a lot of pressure, however. It can damage the carpet permanently.  Repeat this step as necessary.Contact ProfessionalsNow that you’ve done everything you can to control the wax stain, it’s time to contact a professional carpet cleaning service.  Their understanding of the situation will finish the job properly, ensuring that no long-term damage is sustained.Carpet cleaners are an integral part in the care of your home’s carpeting.  Accidents do happen, though, and because you may not have access to a carpet cleaning professional immediately, it is important that you know the strategies to assisting in the removal of a stain.  Their understanding of how to properly treat the affected area will greatly diminish the chances of the stain lingering beyond the professional treatment.  They have the necessary chemicals and tools to extract any remaining wax from the fibers and remove the color stain that is usually associated with a wax burn.  The next time you spill wax on your carpet, remember that your initial instinct of cleaning it right away should be ignored.  Follow these simple steps and contact a carpet cleaner and you’ll have done everything in your power to eliminate the problem.  Other tips such as specific candle holders or stabilizing tabletops that may hold your candles can also help.  But, if the unexpected and dreaded wax stain on the carpet arises, at least you now have the necessary knowledge of how to handle it!