Your favorite candle casts a soft glow from your kitchen counter. You don’t think twice when you’re ready to blow it out, accidentally spreading soot across your countertop. How do you get candle soot off countertops without making the mess worse?
To get candle soot off countertops, you’ll want to act immediately. Before the stain sets in, grab a soft scrub cleaner and a non-abrasive rag or sponge. Test the cleaner in a small area along the edge of the soot stain to see if it’s effective and, if so, continue to work the stain from the surface of your countertop until it’s gone.
Soot stains can be intimidating to clean from any surface, especially your kitchen countertop. What starts as a small soot stain can turn into a large, gray splotch quickly. Learn some effective ways to clean candle soot and ash from your countertops.
How Do You Clean Soot Off of Countertops?
Cleaning soot from your countertop can be difficult depending on the material your countertop is made of. Different materials are prone to worse staining than others. To remove soot from your countertop, you may need a cleaner more specific to its material.
You want to make sure not to smear the soot stain out from itself, creating a larger splotch on your countertop. Start by:
- Scrape the surface level of candle soot from the countertop using a razor blade or putty knife, being careful not to gouge the counter. This should pull the top, greasy layer of soot up without smearing it.
- Using a pH-neutral soap and water mixture, firmly wipe the candle soot. Start at one edge of the stain and wipe to the other edge of the stain, trying to refrain from circular motions that may spread the soot around further.
- On the remaining candle soot, use a soft scrub or cleaner specific to the material of your countertop to finish cleaning the soot from your countertop. Try with a magic eraser or microfiber cloth that will grab the soot and pull it away from the countertop rather than smear it further into the material.
- Repeat until you’re satisfied with the results.
How Do You Get Candle Ash Off Countertops?
Candle ash will leave tiny, speckled stains wherever It lands. When cleaning candle ash off your countertops, fight the instinct to wipe the ashes up with a wet or dry rag. The wiping motion, regardless of whether or not the rag is wet or dry, will smear the ash and cause larger soot splotches.
Follow these simple instructions:
- Vacuum up the loose candle ash with your vacuum or a handheld dustbuster. This method of vacuuming first will prevent further smearing of loose ash on the countertop.
- Scrub the speckled staining from the ask with a dry magic eraser or melamine sponge. This will help to buff off any soot build-up.
- Finish off your countertops by dabbing a cleaning product onto any remaining, visible staining. Follow the instructions of the cleaning product for the best results. Repeat the use of the magic eraser and cleaning product as needed until all soot is gone from your countertop.
Try to prevent candle ash from landing directly on your countertop by placing your candle on a decorative tray or trivet. Not many people will realize this is meant to catch any stray candle ash from spreading to your countertop, but the functionality of this decorating trick could save your countertops.
How Do You Get Candle Soot Off Quartz Countertops?
Quartz countertops are stain-resistant but not stain-proof. Any messes that could potentially stain your quartz countertop need to be cleaned up immediately and candle soot is no exception. Homeowners with quartz countertops in their kitchens have a lot of product recommendations for cleaning and removing stains from them.
Some cleaning products to try on your quartz countertops are:
- Magic Eraser or melamine sponge
- Weiman Quartz Cleaner
- The Pink Stuff
- Soft Scrub
- Bar Keeper’s Friend
- Baking soda and vinegar
- Rubbing alcohol
There are a lot of forums offering advice and YouTube videos that test different methods of cleaning quartz countertops. Be mindful that some cleaners have high acidity that can be damaging to quartz, so these recommendations may still need to be used with caution.
Your countertop installer may be able to offer helpful advice as well. If all else fails, you could consult a professional about hard polishing your countertops in an attempt to restore them.
Reduce Candle Soot in Your Home
Candle soot is no better for our lungs than it is for the surfaces it stains in our homes. If you aren’t willing to give up candles on your countertops, there are some ways to reduce candle soot that will prevent countertop staining and keep the air cleaner.
- Don’t burn a candle where there is a draft to fan the flame and stir up soot.
- Search for candles that are made of waxes that produce less soot naturally, like soy or beeswax.
- Use a candle alternative like an essential oil diffuser or diffuser sticks. These options still produce a strong smell like a candle, but they have a very different aesthetic than a candle.
- If the aesthetic of a candle is really what you’re after, try a flickering flameless candle that is very realistic without any of the soot.
Final Thoughts
Messes happen, and that’s okay, but that doesn’t mean we should be unprepared. We know our windows will get dusty, so we keep glass cleaner in our house. We know our carpets will get dirty, so we keep a vacuum in our house. We know that our kitchen countertops will need maintenance, so we should keep cleaners in our house for them too.
It can be helpful to keep a variety of cleaning supplies on hand for the unexpected, depending on the material of your countertops. The juice stains, the tomato sauce stains, and the candle soot stains will have nothing on you if you’re prepared to act quickly.
Don’t let a soot stain on your countertop intimidate you. Jump into action to prevent more serious staining on your countertops!