how to clean wax seal spoon
Because it’s such a simple process, creating a wax seal using wax spoons and wax beads is something that’s done rather frequently. You just need to heat up the spoon, melt the wax, and then pour it out over the envelope so that you can stamp your wax seal onto the envelope.
The majority of the time, all that is required to clean the spoon is to warm it so that any wax that may have been left behind or residue can be remelted. The leftover wax can then be poured out of the spoon, and the spoon should be cleaned. What should you do, though, if the wax spoon has become tarnished with time and you wish to restore its brilliance to how it was originally?
Simply said, the black, soot-like residue that forms on the wax spoon over time is composed of hydrocarbons that have been burned to extremely high temperatures. These carbons make their way to the spoon, where they stay behind to form a tenacious residue.
Sealing Wax Spoon
Sealing wax spoon that can be used to melt the wax before using it to seal a variety of documents, envelopes, or invitations. Your fingers will be protected from the high temperature that results from heating the spoon thanks to the wooden handle that it comes equipped with.
It has a cup capacity that is adequate for producing a wax seal of a standard size.
It is recommended that you wipe the spoon down with a gentle cloth that has been patted dry before you use it to melt wax of a different hue.
In order to achieve seals with a consistent look, it is important not to overheat the wax (it must not boil). Be careful not to burn yourself when handling the melting wax!
Do not leave anything within the reach of minors.
An Afterthought
It is simple to forget about the procedure of cleaning up after making beautiful wax seals because it is easy to get wrapped up in the creation process. This means that there will be moments when the wax that was left in your melting spoon will solidify when it cools. This could result in inadvertent color mixing, which would destroy the next item you work on. You need to learn how to clean your wax seal spoon and keep your tools organized in order to avoid this messy color mixup. Keeping your instruments organized is also important. I swear it won’t be difficult at all!
How to Completely Clean Your Wax Spoon
The wax can be easily removed from the spoon with little effort on your part. Heat is the only thing you require. Surprisingly, the same holds true for the hydrocarbons that have been crisped. You will need to reheat the spoon and use anything to wipe at the places that have become blackened until the residue is removed.
After some time, months, or even years, the blackened parts just won’t come off anymore, and at that point, you will have no choice but to either throw away the spoon or ignore it completely. Therefore, as long as you clean the spoon after each use, the charred regions won’t have any effect on the candle wax and won’t cause any change in color to the candle wax either.
What You’ll Need
In addition to the spoon itself, you will also need a paper towel and a candle that is lit. You could also use a regular teaspoon if you want to, but leaving it out is not necessary in this recipe.
Heat the Wax
You need to re-melt the wax seal spoon, regardless of whether it is still warm from the previous item you worked on or whether it has entirely cooled and solidified. You should hold the spoon over the flame of the candle, but you should take care not to hold the spoon in the flame itself. The underside of the spoon will end up with a sooty residue as a result of this. Even if you did wind up with that black residue, it won’t be impossible for you to get rid of it!
Scrape or Pour the Excess
You have two options available to you if your spoon is filled with a significant amount of molten wax: either scrape it out or dump it out. I merely poured the surplus wax out onto a piece of scrap paper until it was as empty as it could possibly be. On the other hand, you may use the point of a teaspoon to scrape the excess off. It will harden on the tip of the spoon, which you should be able to easily remove at a later time without any difficulty.
Wipe the Spoon
After that, roll some of the paper towel into a ball and vigorously wipe the inside of the candle while the wax is still warm. Be very careful not to scrape your flesh against the metal, since it will be extremely hot. Using a clean cloth, remove any wax residue from the exterior of the spoon as well. You can do this a second time by holding the spoon over the flame to ensure that the wax is still liquid enough to get it all. That should do a pretty good job of cleaning your wax seal spoon, all things considered.
A Shiny Clean Wax Seal Spoon
That sums up the majority of it! It took me a bit to actually figure it out, so you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if you didn’t think of this way when you were trying to solve the problem. After you have finished cleaning up, you will be able to start working on your next job without having to worry about making a mess. I really hope that you find this guide to be helpful, and that it makes your next wax seal job that much more enjoyable for you!
Avoiding the Blackened Marks
It is important that a wax spoon be constructed of stainless steel and have a handle that is non-conductive, which means that it does not get hot when the spoon itself gets hot. This ensures that the spoon may be held in the appropriate manner at all times while the wax within is being heated.
If you don’t have a wax spoon but something else that isn’t made of stainless steel, you should either get used to doing a lot of cleaning or just consider these spoons to be disposable. After you’ve used it a few times, you should toss it out and get another one instead.
There is also a more effective manner to hold the spoon up to the heat, which will assist in preventing the blackening that can result from doing so. The most effective way to achieve this is to hold the spoon over the section of the flame that is the most intense.
The area approximately one centimeter (half an inch) above the flame itself contains the most intense heat. Make sure the spoon does not come into contact with the flame.
Other Methods for Heating your Wax Spoon
Make it a habit to search for and acquire a wax spoon at all times. These spoons are made to withstand repeated heating and cooling cycles without losing their shape. They are not like a spoon that you may find in the cutlery drawer, even if you might have to resort to using one of them in a bind at some point.
Wax Spoon Holder
A wax spoon holder is one of the most useful instruments in your collection of wax-related equipment.When you use a holder made of wax for your spoon, you won’t ever have to worry about the flame touching it.
When you place the candle in this position, it will heat the wax that is in the spoon. After the wax in the spoon has melted, you will be able to pick it up and put it to use whenever you like. The fact that you can begin the process of melting at the same time as you begin composing your letter is an extremely great perk.
After your letter is finished and tucked into the envelope, you should be able to start using your wax spoon. As was indicated before, you need to ensure that the handle of the wax spoon you use does not conduct electricity. The last thing that you want to do is accidently grab a metal handle that is extremely hot and end up burning yourself. This is the worst thing that could happen.
Usually, these holders come with their own wax spoons, so you won’t have to worry about going out and shopping for one that is not just a decent wax spoon but also fits your wax spoon holder. This eliminates the need for you to worry about going out and hunting for one that is both a good wax spoon and fits your wax spoon holder.
When compared to standard wax spoons, the spoons that come with holders are often a little bit larger and have the capacity to store more wax. This is a design element that is present in a number of different letters. If you need to sit down and wax seal a large number of letters, the wax spoon holder is the better option for you because it allows you to get more out of each spoonful of wax.
Melting Pot
Because there is no fire to deal with at any point, using wax melting pots makes everything a great deal simpler. Consider it to be similar to a tart burner. A significant quantity of wax is melted by a heating element in this apparatus. When you are ready to begin sealing your letters, you need only take a scoop of the required wax from the pool, and then you can begin making your seal.
When you have a lot of letters that need to be sealed, you may also use this configuration to your advantage. Because you won’t be able to bring it anywhere near a fire, you won’t ever have to worry about cleaning the soot off of your wax spoon. This eliminates a step in the cleaning process.
The need for constant cleaning is the disadvantage associated with this particular option. Not only will you need to clean the spoon, which is very important taking into consideration that you will be dipping the entire spoon on a regular basis, but you will also need to clean out the melting pot.
Preventative maintenance is the most effective method for accomplishing this goal. When you are through using the pot, there should never be any liquid wax left in the pot. You can either discard it or pour it out into a container that is suitable for secure storage, whichever option is more convenient for you.
No matter which option you choose—the melting pot or the spoon holder—it will help you maintain the cleanliness of your wax spoons and eliminate the need to perform significant cleaning.
Final Thoughts
If your wax spoon hasn’t started to collect a lot of that nasty black buildup yet, cleaning and maintaining it shouldn’t be too difficult. In the event that it does come to that, you should make every effort to remove it as quickly as possible so that it does not develop into a more serious issue in the future.