I bought a butcher block table used and someone had allowed a red candle to drip onto it and now it has several red splotches on it. I have tried Clorox wipes, but can’t seem to get deep enough to get at the red. Anyone know of anything I can use to get the red out?
Thanks
Quasi
Thick paper towel and and and iron.
Mind you that’s the solution for carpet, I don’t know about wood.
In theory, the candle wax re-melts and is absorbed into the more accomodating paper towel fibres. After several passes with the iron, it should help.
Bleach? Though it would probably lighten the wood as well. I don’t think any solution is going to get the was out entirely, but maybe if you bleach the colour out of it, it won’t seem so obvious.
Bleach only if you intend to bleach the whole table.
Personally, I think that a few reds stains add character/
The best medium for soaking up oils, greases, and waxes is the plain old brown paper bag from the supermarket. Just place it on the block and iron away.
Candlemaker here, speaking from unfortunate experience. (Ever try to get red candle dye out of an uncooperative bottle? Ever wonder what happens if you squeeze the bottle really REALLY hard?)
Bleach may take it out, but as Princhester said, you’d need to bleach the entire thing. Other than that, red dye (according to my buddy who manufactures industrial cleaners) is well-nigh impossible to remove with any cleaners, unless said cleaners are strong enough to also remove the color of the surrounding material.
So…bleach may work on a table, but you’d be really SOL if it were a rug. Or if it were your hair, in which case you’d just have to learn to enjoy having red streaks for a month or so.
If it’s bare wood (like a chopping block), you might be able to sand it out, too.
Best luck,
karol
Seconding that. I once used my cutting board as a base for my four-wick giant red candle. It’s been over four years and that cutting board is still red. It gets bleached often. I don’t think the wax is the problem (ironing would take care of that, if so.) There are commercial products for removing candle “accidents” but I have no experience with them.
Good butcher blocks are usually built so that the top surface is the wood’s end grain, so sanding can be really difficult. It may be the only way, though. That would also remove any finish or patina on it.
Sorry I couldn’t help more.
Well, I’m going to give the ironing a try. Failing that, I already did a Google search and one site recommends a polyurethane cleaner. The table has a satin finish, so I’m thinking I may have to recoat.
Thanks for the advice.
Quasi