The Great Candle Holder Clean-Up: A Guide on What NOT to Do!

Tips & Tricks

So, let’s set the scene. You’ve got a lovely collection of glass candle holders that have done their duty in providing cozy ambiance and flickering warmth to your home. They’re now a bit worse for wear, crusted with old wax drips and in desperate need of a refresh. It’s time to bring them back to their former glory – sparkling, shiny, and ready for their next round of candlelight duty!

Like many of us, I turned to the good ol’ internet for a quick solution. I skimmed through a few suggestions and came across the seemingly brilliant idea: “Boil some water, pour it over the candle holders, and let the wax float up to the top.” Easy, right?Spoiler alert: It didn’t go quite as planned.

What I Did (That You Probably Shouldn’t)

Step 1: I gathered my assortment of candle holders and set them in my kitchen sink.
Step 2: Boiled water on the stove and poured it directly over the candle holders.
Step 3: Let everything sit for about 15 minutes, expecting wax to effortlessly melt away and float to the surface.

What could go wrong you ask? Keep reading.

The Result

The wax did melt…sort of. Rather than just floating neatly to the top, it decided to coat not only the candle holders but the entire sink. Instead of a few stray wax spots, I now had a beautifully “waxed” sink and candle holders that looked like they’d been dunked in a hot vat of candle goo. Not exactly what I had in mind.

To make things even better, the melted wax had a mind of its own, clinging to more places on each holder. As if that wasn’t enough, the oils in the wax left a film on the glass. So there I was, staring down a sink full of waxy residue and glass holders that looked worse than before.

The Clean-Up Saga

After the wax-coated disaster, I grabbed my trusty Dawn dish soap, hot water, and a kitchen scrubby. After scrubbing like my life depended on it, I managed to get most of the wax and oil residue off the holders. But for those particularly stubborn spots, I took another shot and tried spraying some rubbing alcohol. Word of advice: this does work, but be careful! Rubbing alcohol is flammable, so if you try it, make sure to wash your holders thoroughly before putting a candle back in there. Safety first!

Once the holders were clean and ready to dry, I looked down to find… the wax had also turned my sink into a waxy mess. (Yes, cue facepalm!) So, there I was again, scrubbing the sink. Apparently, I’d signed up for the “advanced” cleaning session.

Lessons Learned: My Not-So-Genius Tips

  1. Don’t pour boiling water in the sink with waxy holders—unless you want a wax-coated sink as a bonus.
  2. Avoid using flammable cleaners on anything that will later hold a flame without thoroughly rinsing. Better safe than sparkly!
  3. Consider other options first (that maybe involve the freezer or a gentle hairdryer).

In the end, my candle holders emerged wax-free and shiny, but I’ll think twice before trying the boiling water method again. If you’re on a similar candle-holder cleaning mission, I recommend doing a little more research. But hey, take my misadventures as a guide to what not to do!

Posted In: Tips & Tricks

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