How To Remove Wax From Wood?

You should know how to remove wax from wood if you are planning to re-wax your furniture. Generally, some wood furniture paste wax turns yellow with age. So, you must remove the old wax and apply a fresh new coat. In this article, I have discussed some best ways to dissolve the wax without using any strong solvents. To remove wax from wood, you don’t need any special equipment or a ton of time. Just some handful of products and patience is enough! Let us now learn how to remove wax from wood to give your furniture a fresh look!

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How To Remove Wax From Wood?

I have mentioned below some simple and easy ways for how to remove wax from wood. All these methods can safely remove candle wax from any wood surface without hurting the wood’s finish.

1. By Using Hair Dryer
2. By Using Iron
3. By Using Trisodium Phosphate
4. By Using Vinegar
5. By Using Ice Cubes
6. By Using Steel Wool
7. By Using Mineral Spirits

So, you have just seen different types of ways that you can use to clear the waxy mess! You can keep reading on to find out how to remove wax from wood in depth.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Hairdryer

Heat is the best way to remove major wax spills from wood. You can scratch the wood if you try scraping off the wax. This method involves gradually warming the wax so that its composition becomes softer. Let’s get into details to know how to remove wax from wood by using a hairdryer.

1. Set the minimum temperature of the hairdryer. 
2. You need to hold the hairdryer at least three inches away from the wood.
3. Warm the wax for at least 4 to 5 minutes.
4. The wax begins to soften.
5. With the help of your hands try to peel off the wax.
6. Repeat the process until the wax is completely removed.
7. Wipe the treated area using a clean lint-free cloth.

Precautions:

Use a low heat setting in the hairdryer.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Iron

The majority of the wax can be removed by using iron. This is the best method to use when the wax is deeply embedded in the wood. You need to follow the following steps to learn how to remove wax from wood by using an iron.

1. Keep your iron on the lowest setting with no steam.
2. Cover the affected area with some heavy-duty paper towels.
3. Put a clean, iron-safe cloth over the paper towels.
4. Press the iron on the cloth for three to five seconds.
5. Check whether the wax is absorbed into the paper towels.
6. If not, increase the temperature of the iron slightly.
7. Repeat this process again with a clean section of the paper towel.
8. Clean the surface using a clean, lint-free cloth.

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Precautions:

Make sure you place several paper towels on the wax.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Trisodium Phosphate

When the wax doesn’t come off easily, you need to try some strong products to remove it! You can get rid of excess wax by using a trisodium phosphate cleaning solution. It works great to get rid of all the dust and oil struck at the top of the wax surface.

Steps of how to remove wax from wood using TSP.

1. You have to clean the surface using a lint-free cloth in circular motions.
2. Continue this process until the wax becomes dull and less sticky.
3. Pour some solution on a soft cloth.
4. Rub gently this solution on wax.
5. Wipe the wood surface with a dry cloth.

Precautions:

Do not apply trisodium phosphate on the wood surface.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Vinegar

You can remove old wax from wood by using the very popular household ingredient vinegar. Follow the below process to learn how to remove wax from wood by using vinegar.

1. Take a small container.
2. Mix one part vinegar and two parts of water.
3. Add a teaspoon of tartar cream to make a natural cleaner
4. Soak a clean cloth in this mixture.
5. Rub the solution on the affected area.
6. Begin to scrape off the wax with the help of the blunt side of a knife.
7. Wipe the area with a clean dampened cloth.

Precautions:

Make sure you apply enough pressure to the waxy residue.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Ice

When the wax gets cold, it becomes more brittle. This makes it easy to scrape off the wax from the wood surfaces. You can quickly remove wax from the wood by freezing it with ice. To understand the procedure for how to remove wax from wood by using ice, you need to follow the below steps.

1. Add several ice cubes into a plastic bag.
2. Place the ice bag over the affected area for a few minutes.
3. This helps the wax to freeze.
4. Gently remove the wax with the help of a plastic spatula or spoon.
5. Clean the area with a lint-free cloth.

Precautions:

Make sure you place a lint-free cloth between the bag of iced and the wax.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Mineral Spirits

If you are trying to get rid of candle wax drippings here is a quick solution for you. You can remove the wax from your wood surfaces by using mineral spirits. Here are the instructions you need to follow to know how to remove wax from wood.

1. Clean the wood surface with warm water.
2. Pour some generous amount of mineral spirit on a soft rag.
3. Rub the surface with the rag.
4. Wipe the area with a dry cloth to finish.

Precautions:

Using too much mineral spirit can sometimes damage the wood surface.

Remove Wax From Wood By Using Steel Wool

You can use steel wool when the wax doesn’t come off just by scrubbing the wood surface. All you have to do is follow the below steps to learn how to remove wax from wood furniture.

1. Make sure the area is dry.
2. Gently scrub the wax residue with the help of steel wool.
3. Wipe the surface with a clean cloth.

Precautions:

Be careful you do not scratch the wood as you remove the wax.

How To Get The Wax Residue Off Wood?

You can get the wax residue off wood by rubbing it with vinegar. As the furniture gets old, the furniture wax picks up dirt and turns yellow! The trick to removing the residue is to use a solvent strong enough to dissolve the wax without harming the finish. Once again, vinegar is there to the rescue. This ingredient is surprisingly effective for removing the old wax residue. Following are the directions you need to follow for this method.

1. Take a small container.
2. Mix one part vinegar and two parts of water.
3. Add a teaspoon of tartar cream to make a natural cleaner
4. Soak a clean cloth in this mixture.
5. Rub the solution on the affected area.
6. Begin to scrape off the wax with the help of the blunt side of a knife.
7. Wipe the area with a clean dampened cloth.

Remove Candle Wax From Wood Before Painting

Are you planning to repaint your wood surface? Then you must first know how to remove candle wax from wood before painting. Trisodium phosphate is a brilliant cleaning solution you can use to remove the wax from wood. This cleaning solution is used by every expert painter. It can quickly remove the wax before painting the wood. To know how this method works please continue to read further.

1. You have to clean the surface using a lint-free cloth in circular motions.
2. Continue this process until the wax becomes dull and less sticky.
3. Pour some solution on a soft cloth.
4. Rub gently this solution on wax.
5. Wipe the wood surface with a dry cloth.

Remove Wax From Wood Table

Don’t try to scrape the wax off your wood table when it is still soft! You might damage the wood’s finish. You can melt the wax by using an iron and some paper towels. You can continue reading to know how to remove wax from the wood table.

1. Keep your iron on the lowest setting with no steam.
2. Cover the affected area with some heavy-duty paper towels.
3. Put a clean, iron-safe cloth over the paper towels.
4. Press the iron on the cloth for three to five seconds.
5. Check whether the wax is absorbed into the paper towels.
6. If not, increase the temperature of the iron slightly.
7. Repeat this process again with a clean section of the paper towel.
8. Clean the surface using a clean, lint-free cloth.

Remove Wax From Wood Furniture

Here we are going to talk about how to remove wax from wood furniture using vinegar. It is the most inexpensive way to remove the wax from the furniture. You need to go along with the below directions to remove all the layers of wax.

1. Take a small container.
2. Mix one part vinegar and two parts of water.
3. Add a teaspoon of tartar cream to make a natural cleaner.
4. Soak a clean cloth in this mixture.
5. Rub the solution on the affected area.
6. Begin to scrape off the wax with the help of the blunt side of a knife.
7. Wipe the area with a clean dampened cloth.

Remove Wax From Unfinished Wood

Do you know how to remove wax from the unfinished wood surface? The wax will soak into the wood pores if you spill wax on unfinished wood that is not protected. It becomes extremely difficult to remove the traces of wax. Don’t panic, if you find yourself in this type of situation. The best way to remove wax from unfinished wood is to use iron as the heat source.

Here are the steps you need to follow.

1. Keep your iron on the lowest setting with no steam.
2. Cover the affected area with some heavy-duty paper towels.
3. Put a clean, iron-safe cloth over the paper towels.
4. Press the iron on the cloth for three to five seconds.
5. Check whether the wax is absorbed into the paper towels.
6. If not, increase the temperature of the iron slightly.
7. Repeat this process again with a clean section of the paper towel.
8. Clean the surface using a clean, lint-free cloth.

Remove Wax From Wood Finish

Wax can penetrate into the wood making future paint touch-ups difficult. There are many ways to remove wax from wood finish furniture. One of the most common is scrubbing the wood with vinegar. This helps to break the wax barrier from the wood surface.

Here are the steps for how to remove wax from the wood finish.

1. Take a small container.
2. Mix one part vinegar and two parts of water.
3. Add a teaspoon of tartar cream to make a natural cleaner.
4. Soak a clean cloth in this mixture.
5. Rub the solution on the affected area.
6. Begin to scrape off the wax with the help of the blunt side of a knife.
7. Wipe the area with a clean dampened cloth.

Remove other type of wax from wood

Here are some simple ways to remove different types of wax from wood

Remove Wax Paste From Wood Furniture

Furniture manufacturers often apply paste wax to add sheen to protect the finish of the furniture. This paste wax collects dirt and dust particles on it. When the paste wax dries out it won’t soften again. Mineral spirits will quickly remove off the wax paste from wood furniture. Don’t worry if you do not know how to remove the wax paste from wood furniture. Try this basic hack to completely remove the wax paste.

1. Clean the wood surface with warm water.
2. Pour some generous amount of mineral spirit on a soft rag.
3. Rub the surface with the rag.
4. Wipe the area with a dry cloth to finish.

Remove Sealing Wax From Wood

Paraffin wax is used to seal the wood finish. It adds extra shine to the wood furniture. Sometimes you need to remove the old sealing wax to apply a fresh new coat. Re-waxing is not a difficult job if you know how to remove sealing wax from wood. Mineral spirits will dissolve the wax sealing without harming the wood surface. Use the following instructions to safely remove it by using mineral spirits

1. Clean the wood surface with warm water.
2. Pour some generous amount of mineral spirit on a soft rag.
3. Rub the surface with the rag.
4. Wipe the area with a dry cloth to finish.

Remove Beeswax From Wood

Beeswax has been used for many years as a sealant for woodworks, wood flooring, and wood furniture. In this case, how do you remove beeswax from wood? For this hairdryer comes for your rescue! You need to follow these steps to remove the beeswax from the wood.

1. Set the minimum temperature of the hairdryer. 
2. You need to hold the hairdryer at least three inches away from the wood.
3. Warm the wax for at least 4 to 5 minutes.
4. The wax begins to soften.
5. With the help of your hands try to peel off the wax.
6. Repeat this process until the wax is completely removed.
7. Wipe the treated area using a clean lint-free cloth.

Remove Candle Wax From Wood

Don’t panic if you have accidentally spilled hot candle wax on wood furniture. I will tell you the easiest and safest way to clean spilled wax without damaging the wood. You can keep reading to get the full details about how to remove candle wax from wood surfaces.

1. Add several ice cubes into a plastic bag.
2. Place the ice bag over the affected area for a few minutes.
3. This helps the wax to freeze.
4. Gently remove the wax with the help of a plastic spatula or spoon.
5. Clean the area with a lint-free cloth.

Remove Wax From Wood Floors

Sometimes, pretty candles drip hot wax unexpectedly on the wood floor. It’s okay, don’t get worried. There are a couple of easy techniques you can use to remove the wax. You can remove wax from floors with heat. The heat will soften the wax so that it can be easily scraped off the floor. Let us see how this technique actually works.

1. Set the minimum temperature of the hairdryer. 
2. You need to hold the hairdryer at least three inches away from the wood.
3. Warm the wax for at least 4 to 5 minutes.
4. The wax begins to soften.
5. With the help of your hands try to peel off the wax.
6. Repeat this process until the wax is completely removed.
7. Wipe the treated area using a clean lint-free cloth.

Things You Will Need To Remove Wax From Wood

You will need the following list of items to remove wax from wood surfaces.

1. Hairdryer
2. Iron
3. Vinegar
4. Mineral spirit
5. Ice cubes
6. Trisodium Phosphate
7. Clean lint-free cloth
8. Plastic Spatula or spoon
9. A small plastic bag

Precautions To Be Taken While Removing Wax From Wood

There are some preventive measures you need to keep in mind while performing any of these methods.

1. You must use low heat settings on the iron or hairdryer to remove the wax.
2. Do not keep the wax spill to sit for several hours or days.
3. Do not apply iron directly on the wood surface.
4. Do not use metals while scraping the wax.
5. Too much use of mineral spirits can strip the protective finish from the wood.
6. Avoid using a kitchen knife or a razor blade.

FAQ

What Solvent Will Dissolve Wax?

Following are the solvents that will completely dissolve wax.

1. White Spirit
2. Vinegar
3. Mineral Spirits
4. Acetone
5. Rubbing alcohol
6. Turpentine
7. Naphtha

How Do you Remove Candle Wax From Furniture?

You can use ice cubes to remove the candle wax from the furniture. This is the procedure you must follow.

1. Add several ice cubes into a plastic bag.
2. Place the ice bag over the affected area for a few minutes.
3. This helps the wax to freeze.
4. Gently remove the wax with the help of a plastic spatula or spoon.
5. Clean the area with a lint-free cloth.

Does White Spirit Remove Wax From Wood?

Yes, any old wax or polish can be removed from wood by using white spirit. You need to use an appropriate respirator mask and gloves as the fumes from white spirit are harmful.

How Do You Get Candle Wax Off An Old Wooden Table?

You can use an iron to get candle wax off an old wooden table. Following are the steps you need to follow.

1. Keep your iron on the lowest setting with no steam.
2. Cover the affected area with some heavy-duty paper towels.
3. Put a clean, iron-safe cloth over the paper towels.
4. Press the iron on the cloth for three to five seconds.
5. Check whether the wax is absorbed into the paper towels.
6. If not, increase the temperature of the iron slightly.
7. Repeat this process again with a clean section of the paper towel.
8. Clean the surface using a clean dry lint-free cloth.

Does Meths Remove Wax?

Methylated Spirits (Meths) can be used to thin spirit-based stains, varnishes and paints and degrease extractive-rich woods. Furniture restorers and French polishers use Methylated Spirits for cleaning, removing wax and stripping furniture, as well as mixing with French polishes when finishing fine furniture.

Does Vinegar Remove Wax From Wood?

To remove any small traces of wax that remain or stains from colored wax on light wood finishes, dip a soft cloth in a mixture of one part distilled white vinegar and two parts water. Wring the cloth well so it is just damp. Wipe the surface following the grain of the wood.

How Do You Remove Wax And Varnish From Wood?

All you need to do is start with 150-grit sandpaper and sand the entire surface. Once you’ve done that, move onto 220-grit sandpaper and repeat. This should remove the varnish. An orbital sander will make this job much easier and quicker if you’re removing varnish from a flat surface.

Will Rubbing Alcohol Remove Wax From Wood?

The Most Popular Method For Removing Wax

Is by utilizing rubber gloves and dish soap/detergent along with rubbing alcohol (or similar). Simply mix together one part soap/detergent with two parts alcohol in a bowl until combined well, then apply directly onto the affected of the furnishing.

Can Goo Gone Remove Wax?

The Goo Gone spray gel is safe to use on many surfaces, including clothing, plastic, finished wood, cars and carpet. According to the product description, it works on pretty much everything sticky. Think: gum, glue, paint, tape residue, tree sap, candle wax and more.

Conclusion

In my above article, you have discovered how to remove wax from wood surfaces. Getting rid of wax stains isn’t a difficult task. But doing it the wrong way could damage your expensive wooden furniture. Above I have discussed some trustworthy methods for getting rid of wax from wood. Do remember to take necessary precautions while trying any of these methods. As you get to know how to remove wax from wood, you no longer need to worry about the wax spillage anymore!