Getting wax off sterling silver. Easy way or no?

[Kolak_of_Twilo]

I realize this is rather light weight for this forum but, I have sterling silver candle holders that my nitwit roomate managed to get covered in wax. Do I just run them under hot water to get rid of it? I’m pretty sure that will cause them to tarnish. Or will silver polish do the trick?

[Rigamarole]

I don’t quite understand - they are candle holders, yes? Shouldn’t they be designed to get a little wax on them?

[Squink]

@Kolak of Twilo

I’m pretty sure that will cause them to tarnish.

Nah, tarnish is mostly caused by sulfur compounds in the air. Unless your hot water smells like rotten eggs it shouldn’t cause you any tarnishing problems.

[Kolak_of_Twilo]

@Rigamarole

I don’t quite understand - they are candle holders, yes? Shouldn’t they be designed to get a little wax on them?

A little wax, yes. Not covered in bright green wax from very cheap, very drippy candles.

[Kimstu]

You should be able to set them on a fairly hot surface (covered with a rag or newspaper/paper towel, of course), or in a bowl surrounded by a bigger bowl of hot water, so that the wax softens enough to peel off easily without harming the candlesticks.

Then a little work with the silver polish and they should be good as new. But don’t expect the silver polish to take off an absolute coating of hardened wax drippings all by itself, at least not without wasting a hell of a lot of polish and elbow grease in the process.

[garygnu]

In addition to Kimstu’s good advice, an adhesive remover like GooGone can also help take off wax film still remaining before the silver polish is applied.

[Nicest_of_the_Damned]

From the Society of American Silversmiths website:

http://www.silversmithing.com/care.htm#Wax

Do you become frustrated when trying to remove wax from your weighted candle holders? Do you go pawing into your flatware drawer to find just the right size knife to dig out the wax? Do you run the piece under warm water, only to create a big mess? Well, here’s a simple, non-invasive technique: use your hair dryer (not a heat gun). Be careful not to get the object too hot, especially if it’s lacquered. Warm the candle cup or other area coated with wax. Lightly touch the area with your finger to make sure it’s not too hot, then wipe the area with a paper towel. If cleaning out a candle cup, support the cup from underneath with your hand to prevent bending the arm. If the opening is too small for your finger, gently stuff (don’t force) the paper towel into the cup and twist. Cotton swabs also work very well, especially on Hanukkah lamps with very small candle cups. Use as much fresh paper towel or as many cotton swabs as needed; otherwise, you will continually reapply the wax you are removing. If residue remains, use a non-abrasive silver polish and cotton ball or cotton towel to remove it.

Non-weighted candle holders can be put in your freezer. Upon removing them, use your fingernail (not a knife) to delicately chip off the wax.

Use dripless candles whenever possible and remove any wax residue from candle holders after each use. Using these techniques will greatly reduce maintenance time.