Remove Leftover Candle Wax From Jars With A Simple Vinegar Trick

If you love using and reusing candle jars in your home, either for repurposing projects or to continuously make your own homemade candles, you know exactly how tough it is to clean out the glass containers. No matter how many times you wipe and scrape down the jar, it can feel impossible to completely remove all that old candle wax. This is where white vinegar can save the day. The next time you're trying to clean out your old candle jar, try adding a splash of vinegar to a cloth or sponge to remove all of the leftover residue as a final step. The acidity of the vinegar will break down the remaining wax, leaving your candle jar spotless and ready to be reused.

Vinegar is often hailed as the ultimate non-toxic household cleaner, with cleaning capabilities that go far beyond just candles. Shower grime? Vinegar is strong enough to clean your shower. Stain on your favorite shirt? Vinegar can make it look new again. Greasy spot above your oven? No problem! Vinegar has so many great uses for cleaning around the home that it comes as no surprise that it's also handy for dissolving old wax residue from candle jars.

First, you'll want to remove all the wax you can from the candle jar using a butter knife or spoon. Don't use anything too sharp, or you'll risk scratching the jar. Once you've scraped out all the wax you can, fill it with hot water. This will melt the wax, making it easier to clean. However, ensure that the water isn't too hot when you pour it in, as boiling water can cause the glass to shatter. Alternatively, you can place the candle in the freezer, which causes the wax to shrink, making it much easier to peel out of the jar. Then, scrub the jar as clean as you can with hot water and a dish brush.

After removing all the wax you can by scraping, melting, scrubbing, and freezing methods, it's likely that the candle jar will still be coated in a sticky wax residue. This is where vinegar can be used. Dab a little vinegar onto a cloth or paper towel, and rub it onto the inside of the jar. That stickiness should disappear, leaving your candle jar good as new. Finally, just rinse off the container so the glass jar can be reused around the house.

While vinegar is a superstar household cleaner, it's not the end-all-be-all for wax removal from candle jars. Vinegar does a good job breaking down leftover candle wax thanks to its acidic properties, but any solvent should be able to remove the residue. Isopropyl alcohol, known around the house as rubbing alcohol, is another powerful solvent that can also get the job done. You can even remove old wax from candle jars using nail polish remover, which contains the solvent acetone, if that's all you have lying around the house. Other harsher solvents like window cleaner, bleach, and even the household staple WD-40 make removing candle wax a breeze. 

However, no matter what you use, be sure to thoroughly clean the candle jar with hot water and soap afterward to rinse out whatever you use. Also, ensure that you catch the candle wax that comes out when rinsing in a strainer or another container to avoid clogging your sink. Furthermore, if you don't have vinegar or any of the above solvents on hand, you can always try soaking your candle jar in hot, soapy water for up to 30 minutes, which should remove most of the wax if you follow it up with a little elbow grease.