How to Get Wax out of Glass

Lighting candles in glass jars can sometimes leave hard waxy patches on the bottom and edges of the jar when the candle has burned out. When all the wax is removed, you will have a quality all-purpose jar that can be used for a new candle or for other purposes. You can remove the hard wax by freezing, melting, or scraping off a flat surface. See Step 1 for how to.

Table of Contents

Frozen wax

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Place a glass jar or piece of glass in the freezer. The freezing method works best with small candle cups or candle jars. Once the candle has cooled to room temperature, place it in the freezer.

If you put it in the freezer while it is still too hot, the glass may break due to the sudden temperature change. Make sure the glass has cooled down before freezing.

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Let the wax shrink for at least an hour. As the wax and glass begin to harden, the wax will begin to shrink and peel off the edge of the glass, loosening and making waxing easier. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Use a knife to remove the wax from the glass jar. Remove the glass from the freezer after 1 hour and hit the palm of your hand to remove the wax. Use your finger or a blunt knife to pry and remove any wax residue left on the glass.

Wipe the glass to remove any wax particles. Remove all remaining wax by using a cotton ball or washcloth soaked in baby oil or vinegar. ^{[2] X Research Source} Light scrubbing with a damp paper towel has the same effect. It takes a bit of effort, but this method will work.

Melt wax

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Boil water. Use the oven or microwave to boil water while preparing the wax. The water doesn’t have to be too boiling, just hot enough to melt the wax. Imagine you are boiling water to drink tea that you want to drink very soon.

Alternatively, you can heat the jar while washing the dishes. Turn the faucet on as hot as you can stand it, then soak the jar in the tub for a while.
Another way is to heat the wax on a glass jar with a hair dryer. Turn on the hair dryer on medium setting, blow hot enough, and then dip the bottle in the sink for a while.
If there are many glass jars containing wax, place them in an oven set at 82 °C. Place them in oven-proof aluminum foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes to let the wax melt.

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Cut until the wax comes off. Use an old knife to cut several lines into the waxy mass in the cup that you want to remove. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Alternatively, you can use a fork to separate smaller chunks of wax, or you can skip this step if only a thin layer of wax or residue remains on the cup. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Pour boiling water into a glass jar or cup that is still covered with wax. Immediately, the wax will begin to melt and rise to the surface of the water.

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Let the wax cool. Let the water and wax mixture cool for about 15-20 minutes. During this time, the wax will begin to harden slightly on the surface of the water, making it easier to remove.

Use your fingers to remove the wax from the water. If there is still wax residue, you can use a knife to pry it out of the glass. The wax is soft and pliable at this point, so it will be much easier to remove.

Scrape the wax off the flat surface

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Find the right scraper. The ideal tool for this is a razor blade or window scraper to gently remove wax from flat surfaces, like the glass of a table. They are even more ideal than tweezers or curved blades because these tools can scratch glass. You should scrape very gently to remove wax from surfaces that you cannot heat or wipe.

Remove wax with moist heat. Dip the sponge in very hot water, try to moisten the wax and loosen it slightly before using the scraper. You can even get them all out without shaving.

Be careful when using a scraper to scrape off wax. Shave with gentle strokes to prevent the razor from slipping and to prevent scratching the glass surface. Continue scraping until all wax is removed from the glass surface.

Glass cleaning. Use a warm, damp cloth to remove any remaining wax, and wipe clean. Wax is easy to stick, so cleaning is very important.

Alternatively, you can spray glass cleaner on the wax and wipe it off with a paper towel or soft cloth. You will have to wipe several times before the glass surface is completely clean. Please be patient!

Advice

Cheap candles can use more oil-based wax and are difficult to remove from the glass. Buy good quality candles from reputable brands to make it easier to remove wax from glass.
Place a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of a reusable candle jar to keep the wax from sticking in the first place.
Line an old rag or newspaper to prevent wax residue on the table or cabinet.
Use small glass candle jars as vases or pens, or store other creatives and display them around the house after you’ve cleaned and removed all the candle residue from the jar.

Warning

Do not do this in the kitchen or bathroom sink, as wax can get stuck in the drain system. Remember to put all excess wax in the trash.
Do not rub the sponge or tissue around the inside of the glass jar when removing the wax, or the wax may stain the jar. Scrape and move gently when removing wax residue from the glass.

Things you need

Freezer compartment
Blunt knife
Cotton balls or rags
Baby oil or vinegar
Hot water bowl
Sponge or tissue
Razor or window scraper

Steps