# Clean wax off cast iron stove



## Mettlemickey (Dec 9, 2014)

Hi, my wife put some glass tea light holders on top of the stove so she could melt the remnants of the wax before cleaning them out.

It looks like there's a waxy deposit on the stove top where they were, i assume its wax...

Any ideas how i could get this off?

Thanks
JC


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## branchburner (Dec 9, 2014)

I expect it will burn off in time... especially next time you forget to shut the air back and push the stove too hot by accident.

As for spilling melting wax over all sorts of things in the house, I'm sorry, but your wife couldn't hold a candle to mine.


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## SXIPro (Dec 9, 2014)

branchburner said:


> I expect it will burn off in time... especially next time you forget to shut the air back and push the stove too hot by accident.
> 
> As for spilling melting wax over all sorts of things in the house, I'm sorry, but your wife couldn't hold a candle to mine.


 
Have her confine her hair removal rituals to the bathroom.


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## toddnic (Dec 9, 2014)

It should burn off.  I'd see how much is left after a few fires. You would be taking a chance using a solvent or abrasive, in that it could potentially hurt the finish.


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## FionaD (Dec 9, 2014)

.... Or, when the stove top is just warm, press a paper towel into the warmed wax and it will absorb it.


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## Mettlemickey (Dec 10, 2014)

Thanks everyone, a nice hot fire and a couple of paper towels it is tonight then.


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## FionaD (Dec 10, 2014)

Let us know if it helps! 

Speaking as a confirmed candle wax spiller myself, a version of this principle certainly works for getting wax off a fabric etc, lay paper towel over the stain and hold a hot iron there for a few secs..


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## Mettlemickey (Dec 12, 2014)

Hi Folks, haven't tried the paper towels but the heat of the fire seems to have burned it away. Thanks for all the advice.


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## FionaD (Dec 12, 2014)

Great!


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## Carrieleigh (Jan 27, 2016)

toddnic said:


> It should burn off.  I'd see how much is left after a few fires. You would be taking a chance using a solvent or abrasive, in that it could potentially hurt the finish.



I have a similar problem, but it wasn't a tealight: it was a pillar. There is wax where I can't reach and where the insert can't be taken apart. The smoke is intense and the woodstove is unusable. My chimney guy said to just burn it off, but I'm concerned about whether that could start a fire. Any thoughts on the safety of burning off what might be a large amount of wax from a scented candle? I'm hoping this doesn't mean I need a whole new insert, but that's better than burning down the house.


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## FionaD (Jan 27, 2016)

The wax would turn to liquid long before it would ever burst into flames. Is the wax in a position where it would run down into a reachable area once it melted? If so then then it would run down and then you might be able to wipe it away.

If you're really too nervous to light the stove, would it work to blow some heat in the direction of the wax you can't reach, with a hot hairdryer perhaps?  Or pour boiling water there - when I worked in a restaurant years ago, we always used boiling water to get wax off silver candlesticks. it worked really quickly.

EDIT TO ADD - or try sending a PM to Mettlemickey (see post 8) and ask him just how much wax he was dealing with on his stove.... seems like he didn;t have an issue when he lit the stove and the wax melted away.....


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## Carrieleigh (Jan 27, 2016)

Thank you for your reply, FionaD. Where the wax is, I have no way to get to it, even if it melts down. Or should I say, I haven't found a way yet. I like the boiling water idea because it would flow and drip the same way the wax did. I'm not yet sure how to get it where it needs to go since I'd be aiming over the top--so I'd need to propel it forward, instead of pouring it on top, but I feel like it could work! The hair dryer would definitely clear off the top, so that will solve at least part of it. Thanks again for your ideas!


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## xman23 (Jan 27, 2016)

I'm not this smart, had to look it up. Wax melts around 150 F. So heat it until it melts, then blot it with paper towel. Also benzene is a solvent for wax. I would test the benzene before using it on the cold stove. Benzene is flammable.


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## FionaD (Jan 27, 2016)

....so I'm also thinking it might work to light a small fire in the stove - like a break-in fire... Enough to hit temps that will melt the wax


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