Getting Out Wax that is Stuck in Containers
Posted by Lyschel Bersch on
Do you get to the end of the candle and still have wax left over. First you think - wow, what a waste of wax. (There should be some wax left for safety). Second you think - what a neat jar/holder. If only it didn't have all that wax in it I could use it for something. Don't throw that container or holder out! You can get the wax out!
The easiest thing to do is to try freezing it out. I put the container in the freezer for about an hour and them pull the wick with a pliers. Freezing causes the wax to contract and you should be able to pull out most of the wax. If any wax remains you should be able to carefully chip it out with your fingernail or a knife. That may be all it needs.If for some reason it doesn't budge or if you just want to clean the glass some more then you will want to boil it out. Put the container in an old pot with cool water. Raise the temp to boiling. DON't throw it in at boiling as it will break.
Let it boil for a few minutes or until you can see that the glass is clean and wax/oil is floating on the surface. Then pour your waxy water OUTSIDE (not down the drain). This is great if you have any weeds you want to kill.
Then take slightly cooled glass and wipe with paper towels. Not only does this get off the remaining wax but it will also remove any black soot that may have accumulated.
At this point if the glass is not clean enough you can run it through a dish washer. Since I just reuse my glasses for candle testing I'd say they look pretty good. What do you think?