Fluther: How do I remove a large amount of depilatory wax from ...

How do I remove a large amount of depilatory wax from my stovetop and floor?

Asked by ANef_is_Enuf (26839

) June 17th, 2011
26 responses
“Great Question” (2

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This stuff is like superglue, and of course I knocked over the container and spilled half of the jar onto my smooth top electric stove, all down the front of my oven, and onto my kitchen floor. I have no idea how to remove it… what can I use to get all of this wax up?

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Topics: cleaning, wax removal

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Answers

Isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel might be your best bet.

Then spray it down with an all purpose cleaner once you get the big stuff up.

funkdaddy (17777

)“Great Answer” (1

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Right now I have rags soaked in baby oil sitting on the largest areas of the spill. Is it okay to use the alcohol over top of the baby oil?

I am a sticky mess. :\

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

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Response moderated (Unhelpful)

Can you scrape most of it off with something wooden, like a ruler or a paint mixing stick? I know nothing about depilatory wax, but that is hot.

Adirondackwannabe (36713

)“Great Answer” (1

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You guys are strange…
I don’t think I can scrape it, no. It is insanely sticky. I need something that can break it down, I think.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (0

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We may be strange but we’re not the one’s with a waxed stove. Do you have any paint thinner or something like that?

Adirondackwannabe (36713

)“Great Answer” (1

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@Adirondackwannabe I might. Do you know if that is safe to use on my stove? It is this type of stove top.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (0

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@ANef_is_Enuf I don’t know. Do you have the owners manual? They make them a little better than they used to but I’m just not sure.

Adirondackwannabe (36713

)“Great Answer” (1

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Yowza. Maybe something a little more industrial? Spatula, putty knife, whatever?

Most things that will break it down (alcohol, acetone, paint thinner) are extremely flammable, so be careful there.

The other option is to freeze it, but it usually only works well if it contracts when it’s cold.

funkdaddy (17777

)“Great Answer” (1

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…this is a nightmare. :(

What if I do the opposite? Can I turn on the oven and hope that it warms the wax up? I can try to freeze it, but I’m afraid that scraping on the stovetop will scratch it.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (0

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@ANef_is_Enuf I’m guessing any metal tool would scratch it. Any of your cooking tools strong enough to take it of? The oven thing might work, but watch out for the chemicals. Don’t blow up the house.

Adirondackwannabe (36713

)“Great Answer” (1

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The rubbing alcohol seems to be working, just very slowly. I will probably be scrubbing for hours.. but it is breaking it down.
This stuff evaporates relatively quickly, right? Is my stove going to go up in flames tomorrow? Is there some way to ensure that it doesn’t? This sucks!

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (0

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Ventilate the room well. I think the only problem would be if the vapors accumulated.

Adirondackwannabe (36713

)“Great Answer” (1

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I suppose it doesn’t help that my kitchen is the size of your average closet. Okay, I will open the windows and turn on the exhaust. Thanks.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (0

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Heat the wax up with a blow dryer, when it has softened up try to scrape as much up with a stiff plastic thing, like a plastic paint scraper, carefully, so you don’t damage the paint surface on the stove. Then use mineral oil or baby oil to get the remaining wax off. You might try something like Goof Off to get the rest of it off but I do the the “test on an inconspicuous part of your oven thing” with the Goof Off because I’m not sure if it will damage the paint surface or not. Good luck. Depilatory wax might be the one thing in the world I haven’t manage to spill on some unfortunate surface yet. Hope you get it off.

lillycoyote (24865

)“Great Answer” (3

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@lillycoyote thank you. The blow dryer is a good idea. Again, is that safe to do now that I’ve used rubbing alcohol?
I’m scared to death that I will cause another disaster today.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (1

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Yes, rubbing alcohol is pretty harmless stuff unless you drink it but if you’re concerned just wipe down the areas where you used it with a little warm soapy water. But I understand your fear. I have on occasion created two or three disasters where once there was only one disaster. :-)

lillycoyote (24865

)“Great Answer” (1

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Some waxes are water based and other oil. If neither are working to help remove it, try sprinkling some talcum powder on it to dry it all up and then try the scraping.

Jellie (6492

)“Great Answer” (1

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It’s an oil based wax. Specifically castor, cannabis sativa, and soybean oils. Is that why the baby oil didn’t work to clean it up?
Now that it actually occurred to me to read the container, it says that if you drip it into your eyelashes to clean it with petroleum jelly. Should I smear some vaseline on the stove?
I have never felt like a bigger doofus than I do today.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (1

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Ohhh I found something interesting

You could try a small spot with vaseline. That stuff is good!

Jellie (6492

)“Great Answer” (3

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@sarahhhhh thanks, that article is helpful!

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (1

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This stuff is what professionals use: http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/106934270/Depilatory_Wax_Solvent.html

snowberry (27659

)“Great Answer” (1

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Response moderated (Off-Topic)

@Brian1946 oh my gosh, I can’t count how many times I’ve left something stored in the oven only to forget it was there and turn it on later. Thanks for trying to make me feel better, that was nice of you. :)

I got all of the wax up, finally. Four hours of scrubbing with epilating strips and rubbing alcohol… and it’s all cleaned up. Thanks to everyone that had suggestions.

ANef_is_Enuf (26839

)“Great Answer” (1

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