How To Get Toilet Wax Ring Out Of Carpet

How To Get Toilet Wax Ring Out Of Carpet | 7 tips for a clean floor

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Getting a new toilet installed can be a bit of a hassle. Why? Because when you’re done with the installation, there’s a good chance that toilet ring wax residue will remain on your carpets. There are good reasons for toilet wax as it protects what’s underneath (your floor and your pipes), but it can get elsewhere too! 

The good news is that there are a few easy ways to get rid of leftover or spilled toilet ring wax on your carpet. You can use Lysol, mineral spirits, heat, plumber’s hand wipes, or an adhesive remover to get rid of the wax. 

Here are 7 tips to tackle the wax.

1 Lysol

Lysol is powerful stuff, which is why it’s no surprise that it can help remove wax ring residue from your floors. You can either use a Lysol spray or wipes to help get the wax off your carpet. 

To get rid of the wax from your floor, apply a bit of Lysol to the affected part of the carpet. Then, use paper towels to scrub at the wax ring on the carpet. 

2 An Iron and Cardboard

This method is a bit risky, but, with lots of caution, it’s a great way to get toilet ring wax out of your carpet. 

For this method, you’ll be using an iron and a piece of cardboard or a brown paper bag. 

Lay the cardboard or paper bag down on the toilet ring wax. Then, heat up your iron and run it over the top of the cardboard. 

The wax should melt and stick to the cardboard, allowing you to safely remove it from your carpet. 

Note: this method won’t work on synthetic carpet. Synthetic carpet fibres will melt together and damage your carpet. Be sure to check what kind of fibres your carpet is made of before using this method. 

A Woman Is Holding An Iron

3 Ice, Ice, Baby

On the other end of the spectrum – and A LOT safer – you can use cold to freeze toilet ring wax out of your floor. 

For this method, you’ll want to get a couple of ice cubes from your freezer. 

Use a paper towel to hold them in your hand, but don’t completely wrap the ice cubes. You want to make sure that you apply the ice directly to the toilet wax ring.

Now, rub the ice over the toilet ring wax. This should cause it to freeze and harden up. 

Once the wax is hard, you can start chipping at the wax with a dull knife or a paint scraper. This should get the worst of the wax out of your floor. 

4 Plumber’s Hand Wipes

Plumbers have special hand wipes that allow them to remove grime, epoxy, paint, and other materials from their hands. 

And, these wipes can often work well to remove toilet ring wax left on the floor. 

What’s great about these wipes is that they’re safe for your carpet. You won’t need to test the wipes before tackling the toilet ring wax to clean up your floors.

5 Hot Water and a Blow Dryer

It’s no mystery that heat melts wax, which makes it much easier for you to get off your carpet. Applying a little bit of heat to toilet ring wax can make it easier for you to get the goop off the ground. 

Start by running a plastic knife under hot water. Once the blade is hot, chip away at the worst of the wax residue on the ground. 

After you’ve scraped off the worst of the wax, soak a rag in hot water. Apply the rag to the stain and scrub to get the rest of the wax off the carpet. 

A Woman With Blow Dryer

If all else fails, you can blow-dry the wax with a hairdryer. Once the wax melts, scoop it up with a putty knife or an old rag. 

Keep in mind that even though heat can melt the wax, you don’t want to apply heat directly to your carpet. This can cause other issues, making it a better plan to warm the tool you’ll use to scrape at the wax. 

6 White Spirit

One of the fastest and most surefire ways to get rid of toilet wax rings on your carpet is to use white spirits. This solvent can cut through tons of different types of grime and get them out of your carpet. 

Just make sure that before you apply mineral spirits to your carpet you test a tucked-away section to ensure that the spirits don’t discolor your carpet. You should be able to tell in a few minutes whether or not the mineral spirits will work for your carpet. 

To use this method, soak a rag in mineral spirits. Then, scrub at the wax residue using the cloth. 

7 Adhesive Remover

Adhesive removers are products that are specially designed to remove sticky residue from your carpets. That includes getting rid of the sticky goop left behind from a toilet wax ring seal!

To use this method, apply a bit of adhesive remover to an old rag. Then, scrub away the leftover wax on your carpet. 

The adhesive remover should break through any wax that’s sitting on your carpet. Just make sure to test it out on a hidden part of your carpet first to make sure that it doesn’t discolor or damage the plush. 

The good news is that adhesive removers are safe for most types of floors. You likely won’t need to worry about discoloration, but it’s still good to check first. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Toilet Close Up

What Dissolves Toilet Ring Wax?

Although it can be tough to dissolve toilet ring wax, mineral spirits often do the trick. By applying mineral spirits to the wax, you should be able to remove it from the floor. 

How Do You Remove an Old Toilet Wax Ring?

You’ll need to make sure you gear up with a pair of protective rubber gloves before attempting this job. Then, you can use a paint scraper to get the worst of the wax off the floor. Finally, use one of the above methods to remove the remaining wax from your floor and carpet. 

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