I Tried This Strange Method to Remove Spilled Candle Wax, and It Worked

I absolutely love outdoor lanterns—the ambiance they create at night is unmatched in the summer. But, one thing I don’t love about candles is the wax itself. If it leaks out and leaves ugly wax stains on any linens or fabrics, that’s annoying enough.

But, it also becomes impossible to remove wax from the candle holder itself once it melts. This is especially true with lanterns, which are, of course, not a one-use item.

I’m always on the lookout for great wax-removing hacks, so naturally, when I saw this easy technique from TikTok user @greenwitchmystics, I had to give it a try.

How It Works

According to the video, this approach to wax removal could not be easier. Place your lantern or candle holder in the freezer for thirty minutes. Then, the wax will harden and shrink, and become incredibly easy to remove.

While this hack works great for candlesticks and other candle holders, I wondered if it would even be possible for my lanterns, which are too big for the freezer.

Before ruling it out, I decided to assess my lanterns first. That was when I realized that one is actually designed with removable holders—score.

The Process

While I could have plopped the two metallic inserts into the freezer, I tried to manually remove as much of the wax as I could. I figured this would give the remaining wax a bit of room, and would hopefully cut down on the required freeze time.

This was incredibly easy for the outside—most of it clicked right off. But, two rings stayed tight around the insert of the candle holder, and the inside was still caked with leftover multi-toned wax… as well as the last remnants of the wick.

When I had done all I could, I placed them both in my freezer and set a timer for thirty minutes.

The Result

Thirty minutes later, I opened the freezer to find that the wax looked exactly the same. It didn’t shrink visibly, or lift from the metal in any real way. But as soon as I slid my butter knife between the wax and the holder, it peeled right off!

However, the insides of the holders were still cake with red wax. I used my butter knife again, and while it didn’t pop right out of the first one, it did eventually come out and immediately looked completely clean.

The Conclusion

This approach worked fine for this particular pair of lanterns, and it will definitely be my new go-to method for all my other candle holders. Unfortunately, though, I’m positive it won’t be the right solution for my larger lanterns since they just won’t fit in the freezer.

With this in mind, I’m on a quest to find another great way to remove wax from larger items—and until then, I’ll rely more heavily on this pair for the rest of the season.