Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I Dare You To Top This

hot wax

Or not.

I once made a candle in day camp.  That makes me an expert in all things candle, right?

Wrong. 

Yesterday, I melted down a jar candle to insert a new wick.  I’m not even sure if that’s possible.  Or if you have to use a special kind of string.  Usually, I Google things like this.  But, I reasoned, who needs instructions to melt wax and hang a string in it?   

Um.  Apparently me.

As I was removing the jar from the hot water bath, I lost my grip. 

An understatement, wouldn’t you say?  Lol!

It was the kind of thing where you freeze--openmouthed,  and stare wide-eyed at the carnage thinking “NO I DID NOT JUST DO THAT!” 

It looked like a scene from C.S.I.

All of my utensils, which were hanging on that wall, received a thick coat of wax.  So did several prescription bottles, my son’s cough syrup, two plastic cups, a potholder, a pretty little basket with a fabric heart, and my grandmother's hand-painted trivet. Not to mention my hands.

The boys immediately loved it.  They wanted to keep it for a Halloween decoration. 

I, however, in the horrified panic that ensued, began wiping at the mess. First my grandmother’s trivet.

Then the medicine containers, cups and the pretty little basket.  Ugh!

The utensils were awful.  The more I wiped, the more I worked the now hardening wax into every little crevice.  No doubt, we’ll be tasting “Cinnamon Apple” forever.  (It’s not toxic, right?)

The wall was depressing.  I took a spatula to the now taffy-like wax, scraping off what I could.  Then I scrubbed at the rest with a steaming hot sponge. 

Unfortunately, after an hour and a half of unplanned cleaning, a thin layer of “pink” still clings to the surface in the shape of the splatters.  It will probably never take paint again. We’ll have to live here forever.  Cause who wants a kitchen that’s been murdered? 

You can laugh.  I give you permission.  I had a few giggles myself.

But how incredibly frustrating!  In need of some sympathy, I posted a picture on facebook.  Several friends shared tips that would have been handy to have two hours before.  I’m trying not to feel as dumb as a rock.

When Hot Wax Spills (Or Covers Your Kitchen):

  1. Put anything that fits in the freezer for five minutes.  The wax will pop right off.  (SERIOUSLY?? Duh. Why didn’t I think of that?)
  2. Take a blow dryer to the wall and wipe with a hot towel. 

That first one could have saved a ton of work!  And I”m hoping the second one helps me complete the cleanup.

However, the biggest thing I learned through all of this, which I will now pass on to you in the form of a Universal Tip, is this:

If there is no (real) blood involved in your crisis, take a moment to post it on face book. 

The comments could save you a boatload of work!  LOL!

5 comments:

Mari said...

Aaggggh! I would have done the same as you. The freezer tip is a great idea! I'm sorry you had to deal with this mess. :(

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Oh my friend! Oh my friend! I had to laugh, I just had to. But I'm sorry all too. *snicker*
Hey, those things happen to the best of us. Don't you forget that.
HUGS
Kim

Brenda said...

sorry, but that is too funny! and it really does look like a c.s.i. crime scene...I hope it wasn't Bob the Tomato 'cause it sure does look like the counter they live on! hehe.
We had a candle accident like that at my sister's only in her bathroom and the wax spilled all down and around and behind the commode. Not a pretty picture. We did do the hairdryer trick and it worked for the most part.

I wanted to let you know that I rec'd the dvd and we have watched it already. I gave you a shout out on my blog tonight.

Christine said...

That is awesome! I love it when people do something like that and then put it out there for all to enjoy. It's much better to laugh at the ridiculous things we do than to cry. Thank you!

Nick said...

i was looking for candle ideas for my wife who makes candles found your post that has to be the worst mess i have ever seen in my life as for candle wax mess. Our best method of clean up when making candles is rubber spatula after it all has hardened up and boiling hot water to clean up any other mess. i see it was over a year ago found the image on google images had to find out what that was. great blog read a few of your stories. happy bloging (shameless plug www.daydreamcandles.com)