How to Remove Wax and Upcycle Candle Jars

Mar 12, 2025

Upcycle spent candles into cute storage containers or DIY decor items with these tips on removing wax and stubborn buildup.

Nicole Bradley Kinning is a former garden and home improvement writer for Better Homes & Gardens, where she has also written about pets, beauty and lifestyle topics.

Caitlin is the former associate editorial director at Better Homes & Gardens. She is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience with digital media, including SEO, photo and video production, print content, and custom sales content.

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics that range from film and beauty to science and the automobile industry. Her plant biology degree has a focus on sustainable agriculture, and she's an expert on growing your own food, environmental sciences, and all topics relating to houseplants.

If you quickly burn through your favorite scented candles, throwing away the glass jars just feels wasteful. Luckily, there are plenty of options for upcycling candle jars, whether you use them to make new candles, utilize them as storage, or display them as decor. But first, you'll need to remove the wax from your container.

You'll know it's time to say goodbye to a candle when 1/2-inch of wax remains at the bottom of the jar. Burning a candle past this point can damage the container or even the surface it's sitting on. Learn how to get wax out of a jar candle with a few household items and our four no-fail methods. Once you've removed any remaining wax, polish up your container with our cleaning tips before reusing it in your home.

This method works best with wide-mouth candles. Place your spent candle on a protective surface, like a dish towel or a potholder.

Boil enough water to fill the candle jar, then pour into the container, leaving an inch of space at the top. The water will melt the candle wax, causing it to float to the surface of the container.

Let cool completely before removing the wax. With your sink drain stopped, strain the water and remaining candle bits. Discard or save the wax for future projects. Be sure that all wax remnants are out of the sink before releasing the drain stopper, as wax will clog a drain.

Another strategy for getting leftover wax out of a candle jar is to let the jar soak in warm water. Put in a drain stopper and fill your sink with warm water. Remove the lid, if it has one, and let the open candle jar sit in the sink for 30 minutes. The water will release the wax at the bottom of the container and make it easy to pull out. Keep in mind that this method will likely remove the label on the jar.

Another foolproof candle wax removal method is freezing, which shrinks the wax. Start by placing a spent candle jar in the freezer overnight. In the morning, take the container out of the freezer and flip it upside down—the lump of wax should pop right out. If it doesn't, use a spoon or butter knife to press down on one corner of the wax to lift and remove.

This method allows you to remove wax from multiple candles at once if needed. Begin by preheating your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your spent candles upside-down on the foil.

Place the baking sheet into the heated oven. Keep a close eye on the candles; after about 15 minutes, the wax should pool on the foil. At that point, take the baking sheet out of the oven, set it on a heat-safe surface, and remove the jars using an oven mitt.

Let each candle jar cool before cleaning with soap and warm water. Once the leftover wax has dried on the baking sheet, you can remove it from the aluminum foil to use in the future or discard with the aluminum foil.

Editor's Note: This method only works for glass candle jars without decoration. If your jar has any adornments, such as glitter, sequins, or stickers that you're unable to remove, try a different cleaning option.

Hairdryers are often used to remove candle wax from carpet. They can also be used to soften the wax in a spent candle for removal. Begin by holding your candle with an oven mitt. Turn a hairdryer on warm, and use it to heat the candle's wax from the sides and bottom. Once the wax is soft to the touch, lift or scrape it out of the container with a butter knife.

After removing the wax from your candle jars, you might need to clean out lingering wax residue or soot left on the glass. To do so, use warm water, soap, and a sponge to clean the container before wiping dry with a dish towel or paper towel. For stubborn buildup, use an adhesive remover, such as Goo Gone. A bottle brush might also be useful if the candle mouth is too narrow for your hand.

You can make an entirely new candle just by using cleaned-out jars and leftover wax. Combine wax pieces (preferably ones with similar scents and colors) in a microwave-safe dish and heat in one-minute increments at 60 percent power until the wax is melted. Place a fresh wick in the jar(s) you plan on using and pour the melted wax into the jar while holding onto the tip of the wick. Let cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Glass jars are a storage stalwart, especially if they have tight-fitting, or even better airtight, lids. Many candle jars fit this description. Here are some ideas for what you could store in candle jars that you have thoroughly cleaned using one of our methods above:- At your desk: Small office supplies such as paper clips, binder clips, and rubber bands- In the laundry room: Coins you pull out of pockets of pants that are about to get washed- In the bathroom: Cotton swabs, cotton balls, hair ties, and Band-Aids.- In the craft room: Small supplies such as pom poms, buttons, and sequins- In the dining room: Mini flower bouquets for each place setting at your table- As a vessel for propagating plant cuttings or growing herbs in water

Glass jars are so versatile and handy, the possibilities are almost endless as long as what you're storing is relatively small. Just don't store food in them in case there is residual scent left over from the candle. Happy repurposing!