how to remove wax?

[Mike]

a candle made a big mess and splashed all over my piano :-( how can I remove the wax without altering the finish? (it is mahogany with lacquer)

Thanks

[George W. Frost]

Try a hair dryer on low first with a clean cloth.

[George]

Non-polar solvent like mineral spirits will remove the residue after you pop the big chunks off.

[Doug Miller]

Scrape off as much as you can; use some piece of stiff plastic (such as a credit card or a kitchen spatula) so as not to scratch the finish. Paint thinner (mineral spirits) will remove the residue without harming a lacquer finish.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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[Rolling Thunder]

I had candle wax melt down a speaker onto the speaker grille cover. I used an iron with a handkerchief. I laid the handkerchief on the wax and the iron on top of the handkerchief. The wax melted into the handkerchief, no problem. Might try this with the lowest iron temperature setting to start with and go from there. Use a cotton handkerchief.

thunder

[Charlie Self]

Mike notes:

Try a dry iron, cotton diaper, lowest possible setting with at least 3 layers of diaper. That should blot up most.

I don't know if solvents like the newer orange types will damage lacquer, but they'll remove the rest of the candle wax. If you decide to go that way, TEST on a hidden spot first to see if there's surface damage. Leave the test spot on at least twice as long as you expect to take to remove the wax, and rub twice as much. If that's OK, it SHOULD be OK other places.

Charlie Self "Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing." Redd Foxx

[firstjois]

Yikes!

Put an ice cube on the wax first first first. This makes the wax contract and it might pop it all off all by itself, or with a gentle push.

After that you can do whatever everyone else said but use the ice first!

Josie

[Mike]

thanks to you all!!!!

I think I will give Ice first and Mineral Spirit second a try :-)

I will let you know! Thanks again

[Mike]

I did it!!! I scrapped every thing with a credit card...then use mineral spirit...works great!!! thanks to you all!!!