How to Get Wax Out of a Jar Candle

Co-authored by Filip Kabashi

Last Updated: October 1, 2024 Approved

After a jar candle has burned to the end of its usefulness, you're still left with the glass jar. Whether you want to reuse it or recycle it, that wax has got to come out somehow! Here are a few simple methods for removal of the wax; choose the method that's easiest for you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using a Freezer to Get Wax Out

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1
Find a suitable used candle. This method will be most effective on candle jars that only have a small amount of wax at the bottom. Also, make sure that the candle's wick is not glued to the bottom of the votive.
- If your candle's wick is glued to the bottom, the wax may not come out cleanly.^{[1]
  X
  Research source} Consider using the method described in the section on using boiling water to remove wax.
2
Prepare the candle jar. Many candle jars become narrower at the opening, which means that the wax can get stuck when you try to remove it. You can prevent this by slicing the wax up inside the jar using a butter knife. When the wax freezes, it will break into smaller pieces. The smaller pieces will be easier to take out than one big piece. You can use this technique on shaped candle holders as well.
- If you are using a regular candle holder with straight walls, then you do not need to slice the wax up.
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Set the jar down on a stable surface, so that it does not fall over. Water expands as it freezes, but wax shrinks. This means that the wax will pull away from the sides of the glass.
This may take as little as 20 to 30 minutes^{[3]
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SF Gate, [homeguides.sfgate.com/remove-candle-wax-glass-votives-35843.html How to Remove Candle Wax from Glass Votives]} to as long as a couple of hours.
Once the wax has frozen, you can take the jar out of the freezer. You can test and see if the wax is frozen by pressing down on a corner of it. If the wax moves about or feels loose, that means it is frozen and ready to remove.
Turn the jar upside down. The wax should fall right out. If it doesn't, you can gently tap the jar against the surface of your table or counter. You could also stick a butter knife between the wax and the glass, and pop it out by pushing down on the knife handle.
If the wick holder is still stuck to the bottom of the jar, you should be able to pop it right off by slipping the tip of a butter knife underneath it and pushing down on the knife handle.
There might still be some tiny bits of wax stuck to the jar. If this happens, you can scrape the residue away with a butter knife. You can also remove the wax residue by washing the jar using soap and water, or by wiping it down with some baby oil.
9
Reuse the candle jar. You can now reuse the candle jar by inserting a new wick and pouring fresh wax into it. You could also decorate it and store pens, utensils, or other items in it.
- Consider saving the wax. You can melt this wax down in a double boiler and use it to make candles or wax melts.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Boiling Water to Get Wax Out

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This method can get messy, so you will want to protect your counter or table from any spilt wax. You can do this by spreading old towels or newspapers over the surface you will be working on. You can also work on an old baking sheet instead.
Stick a sharp knife into the candle jar (or any other holder) and start poking the wax, creating small slices and slits. This will help the wax melt faster. It will also help the water get underneath the wax and separate it from the glass.^{[3]
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Do not fill the jar all the way, however. Eventually, the wax will begin to melt and start floating to the top of the water.
After a few hours, the water will have cooled down, and the melted wax will have become solid. The only difference is that the wax will now be floating on top of the water, making it easy for you to remove.
Once the wax has hardened, you should be able to just pop it out. Keep in mind that the water may also spill out of the jar while you are doing this.
You should be able to remove the wick holder by slipping a knife under it and pop it off. If it doesn't come off easily, simply pour more boiling water over it, and try to remove it again why the water is still hot.^{[4]
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If there is any wax still left inside the jar, you should be able to remove it by scraping it off with a knife. You could also wash the jar using soap and warm water. Another way to remove wax residue is by soaking a cotton ball with baby oil and wiping it over the wax and glass.
8
Reuse the jar. You can now reuse the jar as you like. You can pour fresh wax into it to make another candle, or you can decorate it and store items inside of it.
- Consider reusing the wax. You can also melt the old wax down again in a double boiler and use it to make candles or wax melts.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Hot Water and a Pot to Get Wax Out

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If you have multiple jars that need cleaning, then you can put more inside the sink or pot, so long as they all fit loosely. This method may not work well on candles made from very hard wax, but it will work well on soy candles due to the low melting point of soy-based wax.
Make sure that the water level does not go too far past the wax level, in the jars and do not let any water get onto the wax. If you are using a sink, be sure to plug it.
3
Wait for the wax to soften. If you are using a very soft wax, such as soy wax, this should not take long at all. You can test and see whether or not the wax is soft by pressing your finger down onto it. If you are able to create a dent in the wax, then that means that the wax is ready to be removed.
- Candles made from harder waxes may be more difficult to remove; however, the part that touches the glass should soften up enough for you to be able to pop the wax out by pushing down on the edge of it.
Do not take the jar out of the water yet. Instead, hold the jar with one hand. Take a butter knife with the other hand, and slip the blade between the wax and the glass. Wriggle the knife so that it is right under the wax. Gently push down on the knife handle. This should cause the wax to pop right out, or at least loosen it enough so that you can easily remove it.
If the wax is still inside the jar, you can remove it by turning the jar upside down and gently tapping it against the edge of your counter.
The wick holder should have come out with the candle, but if it didn't, you can pop it off by slipping the tip of a butter knife between the wick holder and the glass, and then pushing down on the knife handle.
If there is any wax residue still left inside the jar, you can remove it was washing the jar with soap and warm water. You can also wipe the residue off with a cotton ball soaked in baby oil.
8
Reuse the jar. The jar is now ready to be reused. You can paint or decorate the jar as you like, or you can store items inside of it. You can also add a new wick inside and fill it with wax to make a new candle.
- Consider recycling the old wax by melting it down and turning it into new candles or wax melts.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using an Oven to Get Wax Out^{[5]
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Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 200°F (94°C). The warm temperature of the oven will be just enough to let the candle wax melt.
This will not only protect your baking sheet, but it will also make cleaning up quicker and easier; all you have to do is pull the foil off, scrunch it up, and throw it away. Be sure to cover the sides as shown so that no melted wax will drip onto the baking sheet inadvertently when you remove it from the oven (thus flavoring your next batch of cookies in an unfortunate manner).
You will be placing the baking sheet into the oven and letting the wax melt, so be sure to leave enough space between each jar. If you have a lot of jars, or jars with a lot of wax in them, consider putting only a few jars onto the sheet at one time; otherwise, you will risk the melted wax over flowing and spilling onto the bottom of your oven.
4
Put the baking sheet into the oven and wait for the wax to melt. After about 15 minutes, the wax should have melted and pooled at the bottom of the baking sheet. Do not leave the oven unattended. Melting wax is very flammable.
- Consider leaving a window open. The melting wax will release a lot of fragrant oils. It will make your house smell nice, but it may also give you a headache.
Set the tray down onto a heat resistant surface.
The glass will be hot, so be sure to protect your hands using an oven mitt.
7
Wipe the jars using a paper towel. There may be some wax residue inside the jar, especially around the rim, which was touching the melted wax.
- If a paper towel does not get the wax out, then try washing the candle jar with soap and water, or wiping it down with a cotton ball soaked in baby oil.
8
Reuse the jar. You can now stick a candle wick into the jar and fill it with wax to make a new candle. You can also paint the jar and use it to hold items, such as pens.
- Consider melting the old wax down and using the melted wax to make smaller candles or wax melts.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use a microwave to melt wax in a glass jar in order to clean it?

Community Answer

This won't really work. Everything gets too hot. The glass doesn't transfer the microwave heat to the wax effectively.

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Question

How do I get wax out of the long thin candle holders that the long skinny candles go down into?

Community Answer

Try using a hairdryer. This will slowly melt the wax, and will not damage the candle holder.

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Question

I'm trying to get the wax out of decorative stemmed glass holders, but I'm worried about breaking the glass or damaging the festive paint on the outside of the holders. Do you have any suggestions?

Community Answer

Go with the slow method of hot water from the tap. This option takes longer, but you won't have to worry about breaking the glass or damaging the paint.

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Tips

Soy wax dissolves in soap and water. It easily cleans up and is much more environmentally friendly then paraffin. You can also use melted soy wax as an excellent body lotion.

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Before using any method involving water, be sure that the jar doesn't have any labels that might be ruined by being immersed in water.

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Before the candle is completely used, quickly peel off each new drip on the jar and discard those pieces after each use. This will make it easier to clean when the candle is unusable.

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Warnings

Be sure not to let wax melted in water go down the drain. It will solidify in the pipe, causing a clog.

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Avoid overheating the glass––if the jar candle gets too hot or touches electric hotplates directly, it risks exploding.

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Both freezing the wax and pouring boiling water into the jar run a great risk of shattering the jar.

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Never use a microwave to melt wax inside old candle jars. The tab that holds the candle wick in place is made out of metal, which could ruin your microwave or start a fire.^{[6]
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