# solvent to clean beeswax



## schmism

dulley said:


> Is there any solvent which dissolves beeswax?


no

your best bet is to put them back in the sun or get a hair dryer or heat gun out and use paper towels to soak up/wipe down the tools after the wax is liquid.


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## rlsiv

What about popping them in the oven on a sheet of foil and wiping them down good while they are still warm.


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## schmism

rlsiv said:


> What about popping them in the oven on a sheet of foil and wiping them down good while they are still warm.


shure.... just dont forget they are in there and have the wife crank it up to bake something.

the wax has a low melting point so if your have a pilot oven you may not need to turn it on... otherwise put it on warm for a bit then turn it back off then put the tools in. no need to "bake" the tools persay


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## Bee Bliss

Beeswax melts at about 147 degrees F. I make beeswax candles and use either the hair dryer with paper towel to clean up. Or I will put the used candle jar with the little bit of wax in the oven at just enough temperature till it melts and then pour the wax into another container (to clean and reuse the leftover wax). The glass jars buff clean nicely with paper towel.

Now that I have a solar melter, I could use that instead. Use the waxed paper towels for fire starters.

Some people put things in the freezer to get the wax to pop off.


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## StewRoten

Waxmoth larvae seem to work well. 

Ooh, I wish I hadn't said that. I'm sure to have invoked some curse.


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## KQ6AR

turpentine might work. Its used to make bees wax wood polish.


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## RayMarler

That's right Dan, it'll disolve beeswax but I use Distilled Mineral Spirits (distilled turpentine) instead as it's less smelly.


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## Ricky Bee

I would remove the bulk by melting and wiping. Then any residue can be removed with hexane. Bestine is one brand, and it is specifically marketed as a solvent for wax.


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## downhome

On the upside you can use the waxed paper towels as smoker fuel. That's what I do.


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## hilreal

Regular old vegetable oil works fine. Then wash with soap and water.


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## snapper1d

Hold it over the burner just a second and then wipe it off with paper towel and go on about your business.It only takes a few seconds and no solvents on your tool.


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## wmw

dulley said:


> I am trying to clean beeswax off some of my tools and pots. It had melted and rehardened on in the sun. Is there any solvent which dissolves beeswax?
> 
> Thanks, Jim



Brillo pads worked well for me.


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## Roland

Most solvents will dissolve beeswax, and usually very flammable. Fire is the best cleansing, but not the safest.

Crazy Roland(you should see me with an Oxy-acetylene rig)


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## DC Bees

You can use candle mold wax remover it is non toxic and it smells good.For heavy wax i use a torch and for smaller messes i use the wax remover.You can buy it at craft stores for around five bucks.


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## toekneepea

Just boil some water. I have an electric kettle for tea and coffee, but a pot does fine.

I have a old pyrex baking dish that's chipped, and in which I melt wax in my solar wax melter.

I put the tools in the baking dish, and just pour some boiled water over them; then I let them sit in the water for a minute or two.

Then I simply wipe them off with some steel wool, but honestly I think that paper towels would work just as well. I'll try those next time.

Boiled water takes the propolis and wax right off.

Cheers,
TP


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## Hamp54

A slurry of warm water and cheap automatic dishwasher detergent works great. I dissolve some in a coffee cup, let it soak on the item for a bit and use a plastic scrubber if necessary. Wear rubber gloves or you will discover hang nails you didn't know you had! I bought a bunch of used processing equipment years ago that was nasty beyond belief. It took a lot of work but the stuff cleaned up beautifully.


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## sweetas

Cloudy Ammonia seems to help down the wax. Pour some your bucket etc


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## Michael Bush

If you get things cold a lot of wax will scrape off easily...


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## bevy's honeybees

Michael Bush said:


> If you get things cold a lot of wax will scrape off easily...


As I read through I thought too, I would put them in the freezer for a few hours and it will chip right off. That's how I do it.


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## Native Bee

Goo gone is what I use. give it a minute or two and it dissolves the beeswax so that you can wipe it off of whatever you're trying to clean. Then I wash whatever it is with dish soap to remove the last bit of goo gone.


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## stupid_internet

hilreal said:


> Regular old vegetable oil works fine. Then wash with soap and water.


I wish people would only post when they have real experience, instead of just speculating as to what might work. In my case, I had a natural beeswax candle drip on my computer monitor (flatscreen, not CRT), so hot water/iron+paper bag/freezer weren't an option, and I was hoping for a solvent that wouldn't damage the monitor.

*Here's what didn't work:*
vegetable oil (really?)
dishwasher soap
ammonia (i.e. glass cleaner)
surface cleaner (e.g. 409)
denatured alcohol (I didn't try isopropyl, as I've had it damage plastics before)

*Here's what did work:*
I used an old credit card to carefully scrape off the excess, since I figured it wouldn't be hard enough to scratch the plastic. Then I used mineral spirits to clean off the rest of it, followed by window cleaner to wipe away the residue while it was still wet. It didn't damage the monitor screen or the glossy plastic bezel. Wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. YMMV of course.


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## Phoebee

I've used Goo Gone, but be aware that the original formulation seems to have been supplanted by some orange goop of dubious utility. Goof Off might be a good substitute.

But my wife hates the smell, and doesn't appreciate mineral spirits, either. My biggest cleanup problem have been when I attempted to melt beeswax in the kitchen. This turns out to be a highly hazardous operation, because if your wife catches you and finds beeswax residue on her stove, counter, or utensils, she'll make you suffer.

I'm shopping for a small hot plate right now, something I can take out to the garage.


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## belle2

Ha Ha Just went through the whole registration process to answer this. I am an encaustic artist (painting with hot beeswax). If you buy a block of Soy Wax and melt it you can dip all your tools, brushes etc and the beeswax will disappear. This will leave an oily residue which you might prefer to leave or you can wash with soap and water. I clean all my brushes and tools this way.


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## LeifLiberty

I have been using turpentine to clean the hive tool, but ran out of it. I tried bar keeper's friend, and it works far better than the turpentine ever did. I suspect this will only work for the hive tool.


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## BeeBop

For hive tools I use the same propane torch I use to light the smoker. Heat 'em up, wipe 'em down with a paper towel.


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## LeifLiberty

Wow, now that is the way to light the smoker.  I need a few more hives before I can justify the cost, but that is a great idea (both lighting the smoker and cleaning the hive tool).


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## BeeBop

Cost? $22.95 for an auto-ignite propane torch at the local hardware store. Open the gas valve, press the igniter button, point the business end unto the smoker for 5-10 seconds and you're done. Good and lit, every time.


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## LeifLiberty

LOL, OK. I guess I could use it to scorch the insides of stored hive boxes before putting them back in service too...


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## snl

LeifLiberty said:


> I have been using turpentine to clean the hive tool, but ran out of it. I tried bar keeper's friend, and it works far better than the turpentine ever did.


Another use for Oxalic acid, which is the main ingredient in bar keepers friend.


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## Diotima

stupid_internet said:


> *Here's what did work:*
> .... Then I used mineral spirits to clean off the rest of it....


Agreed! I use beeswax polish a lot in woodworking/furniture restoration and the cloths I use to apply it and lambswool pads I use to buff it off become completely saturated with wax after a while. Soaking in mineral spirits (we call it 'white spirit' here in the UK) dissolves the ingrained and hardened wax to nothing. 

I also agree about offering speculation as advice. It may seem like being helpful, but it's not.


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## TWall

Are you sure it is wax and not propolis? Both get quite brittle when frozen and are easy to scrape off. I have done this in mid-winter with my hive tools. I'm sure a little time in the freezer would work too. Put hive tool in bag first, wife might not appreciate wax/propolis on freezer.

Tom


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## frustrateddrone

Lighter fluid as in for BBQ Charcoal lighting on a dry paper towel and some rubbing.


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## AlCol

I struggle a lot too trying to clean my wife's kitchenware after the honey extraction process. Boiling small amount of water and trying to rinse the wax off...again and again... Then, by a total coincidence, when prepping a wall before painting, I discovered that TSP (trisodium phosphate) actually dissolves the beeswax. Just soak the tools for a while in the TSP solution and you will see!


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## jadebees

BeeBop said:


> Cost? $22.95 for an auto-ignite propane torch at the local hardware store. Open the gas valve, press the igniter button, point the business end unto the smoker for 5-10 seconds and you're done. Good and lit, every time.


I use the propane torch always now. The wind makes it a struggle, while a torch makes that issue disappear.

I use very hot water, on wax residue. Once its hot it wipes right off. Any remainder will wash off with soap, and a good scrub brush. Make sure its hot!


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## Bob J

AlCol said:


> I struggle a lot too trying to clean my wife's kitchenware after the honey extraction process. Boiling small amount of water and trying to rinse the wax off...again and again... Then, by a total coincidence, when prepping a wall before painting, I discovered that TSP (trisodium phosphate) actually dissolves the beeswax. Just soak the tools for a while in the TSP solution and you will see!


Nice! Will have to give this a try! :thumbsup:


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## Narnia

!00% Eucalptus oil is good.Good for removing wax from clothing - Soak the area with E. Oil leave it for a few hours and wash with detergent //warm soapy water.


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