Candle making is a delight. You’ve got the smells of the warm wax, infused with the scents of your choice. There’s really nothing quite like it. Unfortunately, there is the caveat that comes in having to clean out your equipment later.
Washing candle making equipment doesn’t have to be complicated, however, as it’s largely going to be a matter of making that wax liquid again and wiping it away. In some cases, you can simply freeze the wax and chip it right out.
Today we’ll tell you how to wash candle making equipment both quickly and efficiently, so that your favorite hobby or business model stops feeling like a chore and goes back to simply feeling magical. Let’s talk about how to wash candle making equipment!
How Do You Clean a Candle Pitcher?
One of the first considerations when it comes to cleaning your candle making equipment is cleaning up the pitcher or the melting pot that you are pouring your wax from. Thankfully, it’s not so difficult, as it’s just going to boil down to the application of heat to make your wax more pliable.
To clean out your pouring pot or pitcher, you’ll first want to heat up your leftovers. Don’t do this if they are still in liquid form, as this is dangerous, and you don’t want to go there. If it’s partially hardened, partially liquid, then wait and let the entire mass cool to a uniform temperature first.
Once it’s cooled into a uniformly solid mass, then you want to slowly heat it again so that we can get the entire mass to turn to a liquid again. Once you’ve gotten it to be liquid again, you can pour off what you want to save and go after the remaining mass with some paper towels until there is nothing left but residue.
The remaining residue should come away quite easily with a little rubbing alcohol on a folded-up paper towel and you’re just about done. To clean the spout, we’re next going to add a little soap and water, and heat up this mixture so that we can pour it out to loosen up buildup in the spout.
If the spout is removable, once you’ve poured the mixture through, then put on some gloves and unscrew the spout so that we can clean it out more thoroughly. A little bit of paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol will do the trick, just insert it into the spout and twist and turn to dissolve the remaining wax, paying special attention to the entry and exit points.
For the best candle making experience possible, we recommend using a candle making kit like this one. It has everything you need to get started in candle making and is perfect for beginners and veterans alike.
How Do You Get Wax Out of Candle Making Equipment?
Cleaning standard candle making gear is a breeze, it just takes a little patience, attention, and some elbow grease. It’s all about reheating the equipment to loosen up your wax. This can be done in a number of ways, depending on what you are cleaning, but the principle is always going to be the same.
Heat up the equipment so that your wax becomes liquid, wipe it away with a paper towel, and then use rubbing alcohol to clean up your residue. With equipment that is harder to reheat by standard means or if you simply want to have a more targeted approach at your disposal, we highly recommend getting yourself a heat gun.
A heat gun lets you direct heat to exactly where you need it, which not only makes your cleaning get done a lot more quickly, but it also allows you more control of where the heat is going so that you can effectively clean those hard-to-reach spaces.
Just be sure to pour off any wax that you want to save and that the rest doesn’t end up in your sink, otherwise it’s going to clog right up and you’ll be sorry! Once you’ve got the equipment wiped down with paper towels and rubbing alcohol, if you still smell a little fragrance then don’t panic.
Any amounts left are going to be minimal and are unlikely to contaminate your next batch, though if they bother you then you can always store them away with an open box of baking soda to help absorb odors before you get started making your next batch.
How Do You Clean Candle Wax Melter?
Cleaning out wax melters or wax warmers is a breeze and you’ve got a few options for how you can do it. One little trick that comes in quite useful is to let it cool for a minute or two after you power it off and then to drop a few cotton balls inside it.
The cotton balls work a treat at absorbing the liquid wax, just be a little patient and give them time to soak it up.
If the wax has hardened already then this can be a little trickier, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Simply turn on your melter again and let it start heating up and use a scraper or a spoon to try to remove the wax as a single, large chunk if you can.
If you aren’t able to do this, then don’t panic. You can always let it heat up enough to make the wax liquid again, then turn if off, give it a moment, and pop in those cotton balls we’ve mentioned or even dab up what you can with some paper towels.
Just be sure that you are using gloves and that you have given the wax at least a little time to cool down, so that the hot wax won’t burn you. While there really isn’t a set schedule for how often you should clean your melter, it’s a good idea to do it whenever you are changing out your wax.
This will help to keep from conflicting scents taking away from your current wax so that you can get the most enjoyment out of your warmer or melter.
How Do You Clean Wax Moulds?
Cleaning your candle molds is a must if you want to make sure that every new candle is as perfect as you can make it. The steps vary a bit, depending on if you are using plastic-type molds or metal ones, so let’s take a look at the differing steps that you will need.
First off, for plastic or silicone type molds, you’ll want to get a large, plastic container so that you can heat up a little soap and water to get it hot and then to pour into your container. Don’t use the sink, so you can avoid any chance of wax build-up, the container is definitely going to be better.
Place your molds into the hot water and let them soak, checking frequently to see when the wax is softened. Don’t wait too long, or the water will cool and you’ll have to start over. Once the wax has softened, you can wipe the molds down vigorously with a washcloth and if you’ve got any buildup, simply scrape it and start again.
With metal moulds, the process is going to be a little different, as we are essentially going to ‘bake them clean’. Get yourself a pan and a cookie sheet and preheat your oven to it’s coolest setting, which will typically be between 150 – 170 degrees.
Next, put two layers of absorbent paper towels on top of the cookie sheets, and place your molds on top of this with the open-end facing down on the paper towels. Put your pan with your molds into the oven and let them heat up for 10-15 minutes until the wax starts melting and then remove them from your oven.
Using heat resistant gloves, take each mold individually and clean the liquified wax out with paper towels carefully and put each cleaned mold somewhere separate from the others to cool. Don’t stack them, because if you missed any wax while cleaning your molds then they might just stick together!
Voila! Your plastic or metal moulds should be cleaned and ready for use!
Final Thoughts
Today we’ve talked about how to clean your candle making equipment and we’re happy to say that it’s not so difficult at all. Just heat your equipment so that the wax is liquid and with paper towels you can damp up most of the mess.
What you can’t get with the towels alone can be removed with a little rubbing alcohol and some elbow grease and for those hard-to-reach areas, consider investing in a heat gun. It can really save you time and make your cleaning much, much easier.
Finally, with hot, soapy water you can clean up plastic moulds and metal ones allow for baking the wax right out. Don’t forget – protect your hands and never to pour any discarded wax down your sink. Use the tips that we’ve shared today and cleaning doesn’t have to be such a chore. With a little patience and clever application of heat, you’ll be done before you know it!