Anyone who has ever spilled melted candle wax on a carpet knows what a nightmare this can be. If you don't act immediately, the wax hardens from its melted liquid state to a hard solid mass that attaches itself to the fibers of the rug. The next thing you know, you're down on your knees picking hardened bits out of your carpet, a little at a time. Sounds tedious and frustrating, doesn't it?

If you want to remove wax from carpet, there are easy ways to go about it, and the process doesn't take as long as it may seem. The first thing you need to do is remove as much of the hardened wax as you can. A butter or putty knife works well for this but you can use anything with a dull blade. Scrape up what you can and vacuum the debris. Next place a clean cloth, paper bag or paper towel over the wax. Run a warm iron over the cloth until the wax melts. A hot hair dryer can also be used. Once the wax is melted, it should adhere to the cloth. Lift the cloth and the wax should lift with it.

It should be noted that if the wax is colored, it may stain your carpet. Anytime you apply heat to a stain, it causes the stain to lock into the fibers leaving you with a permanent reminder of your clumsiness. It's for this reason you should use a warm iron only. You also don't want to use newspaper or any kind of paper with words or pictures on it unless you want the image to be transferred to your carpet.

If you're left with a stain once the wax is removed, you'll have to contend with that as well. Hopefully, it won't be difficult to remove. A carpet spot cleaner is your best bet; just follow the instructions on the back of the label. If none of this is handy, you can try one of several cleaning agents:

• Mild laundry detergent
• Mild dishwashing liquid
• Stain remover for clothing
• Vinegar

Take your choice of carpet cleaner and dab onto the stain taking care to blot, not rub. When you rub a stain you risk not only spreading the stain, but wearing out the carpet fibers as well. Blot until the stain is lifted. Rinse by blotting with a damp sponge until all the cleaner is gone.

If none of the above seems to work, you'll probably want to contact a professional carpet cleaner who will either advise you of a cleaning product or make an appointment to do the job himself.

It doesn't take too much effort to remove wax from carpet, and it's a much better alternative than rolling up the rug and bringing it to the curb. As long as you act quickly and don't leave it for too long, the damage should be only minimal. You'll probably want to move your candles to a safer place though.