Candles have been around for thousands of years. Until electricity, they were merely a source of light. Today, they are more used as a decorative accent. True, they do add a soft glow and wonderful light to your home. Scented candles go one step further and add practically any smell under the sun.

If you burn candles in your home with any regularity, chances are that you’ve spilled melted wax on the carpet more than once. Thankfully, you can remove melted wax from carpet in just a matter of minutes.

The good news is that you can attack the stain immediately and remove the wax from the carpet. The better news is that if one of your party guests neglected to tell you about the spilled wax, you can still remove it all and leave no trace.

One warning: If you’ve spilled wax onto an Oriental rug that is an antique, silk, or part silk, contact a professional to remove the stain. They are more delicate and generally more expensive.

1. If wax is still soft, put some ice in a plastic bag and place over the spot to harden the wax. If it’s set, gently scrape the hardened wax with a butter knife to remove as much as you can.
2. Use a vacuum to remove the small pieces of wax that you have scraped off.
3. Preheat iron to lowest setting.
4. You can use a white kitchen towel or brown paper bag as a blotter to absorb the wax. WARNING: Be sure there is no printing on the paper bag. When heated, the ink will be transferred to your carpet, which is much more difficult to remove.
5. Gently press the warm iron over the waxy area until it melts and adheres to the blotter. You should keep the iron moving in a circular motion to prevent it from scorching the carpet fibers.
6. When the wax has been absorbed, lift the blotter from the carpet.
7. Repeat as necessary, with a new blotter each time. If not, you’ll simply put the wax you’ve removed back onto the carpet.
8. Use a small amount of rubbing alcohol or carpet cleaner on the spot to remove any dye. Be careful not to allow the alcohol to absorb deeply into the carpet as it can loosen the glue that holds the fibers in place.
9. Blot with a clean white cloth to remove the alcohol or carpet cleaner. Repeat until the dye no longer appears on your carpet.
10. Sponge the area with water to rinse and blot again until the area is dry to the touch.
11. Cover area with clean kitchen towel or stack of paper towels and some weight on top. You can use a few heavy books for this. Leave for several hours to absorb any remaining liquid.
12. When it’s completely dry, vacuum to return fibers to normal texture.