Ugh... Need some help, wife spilled candle

Glowrdr

So after I've cooled off a little bit, and told the wife to remove any candles from the living room, I need your help.

Long story short, the wife was "moving" a candle for whatever godforsaken reason a woman feels like randomly moving a candle for (when there are already 3 in the room lit)

Well, low and behold she spilled it. Just so happens to be the one that she felt needed to be by my smelly SC-37. I've got wax on the side (thankfully) of the receiver, on the cases (thankfully) of 3 pairs of 3D glasses. The unfortunate thing is that 3/4+ of my SC-37 remote is covered with wax.

2 questions. Is there a "Goo-Gone" of the wax world? And, anyone have any ideas of how to take the remotes apart? I'm thinking it might help to remove the front and the rubber to clean it up. It pisses me off because I don't use the remote more than once a month or so - but it's one that you pretty much need for setup and configuration. So if I can't clean it up, it looks like I'll be buying a replacement.

deronb1

Yikes! I would stick it the freezer for a while. Wax should come off pretty easily, with a little manipulation and hopefully will stay in good sized chunks instead of smearing all over the remote. Good Luck!

Gadabout

Never had the problem so this is just an idea for the remote.

I would go with the freezing first, so you can break off the large chunks. Disassemble the remote. Try a hair dryer on low and see if that will melt the wax so you can the majority of the remaining wax. Then a a gentle household cleaner to try and get the residue off. Let it dry over night (or blow dry with the hair dryer).

I'm guessing that the wax will have a much lower melting point than the plastic and buttons on the remote. Perhaps some others will have a a better idea, but it's worth a try before replacing the remote.

Scott

Edit: Since wax residue is kind of greasy, perhaps some diluted 409 or dawn or laundry detergent or even white vinegar might get the remaining residue off.

toucanet

Sorry to hear about your situation.

I'm sure that you will get even more frustrated when you attempt to clean the wax off of the remote.

I'd bite the bullet and spend $300.00 (or whatever it cost) on a new remote. I'm sure that your wife feels terrible that she spilled the wax on your treasured electronics. However, instead of adding fuel to the fire, take the opportunity to get a new remote and some extra stuff while the door is open.

Just my .02

Glowrdr

Yeah, she does feel bad. I'm just annoyed because she actually had the candle right next to the receiver, and I told her to move it because I didn't want it right next to it (flame height was lower than the receiver, didn't want heat/soot marks on anything). It's one of those things that I try to be proactive in preventing, but it happened and there's nothing I can do now.

I've actually got a decent amount of the wax off everything. Doing the freezer thing now to see what else I can get. Then I'll probably take the remote apart and see what happens. I think at this point I'm safe from having to buy a new remote. The only issue I foresee perhaps is wiping off the lettering once I use whatever cleaner to get rid of the greasy residue from everything. Not sure what to use yet. Thinking either Windex, Lighter Fluid, or Goo Gone (says removes wax, and wont harm finishes... not sure I trust that statement though).

If this was a Harmony or my Dish remote - I'd just buy a replacement in a heartbeat. But since I pretty much only use it during setup, and to change inputs - I'm really trying to avoid getting another one just to have it collect dust like this one does.

gmcman

I would try the freezer trick first, maybe not letting it get completely frozen but colder than what the fridge can do. Point being, plastic gets brittle at freezing temps so use caution.

As far as heating..if you can chill the wax, break off the large portions, perhaps you can remove the remote cover..if it has one.

May advise on holding the remote upside down to prevent further flow of wax inside when melting...may need a vid of that..



That's unfortunate though....but surely she didn't mean to. I can't imagine it's damaged, just a PITA to remove.

To ease some pain and add slight humor...we were at a halloween party at a buddy's new townhome, the LOML was walking down the stairs and while holding on to the ledge, accidentaly tipped a burning red candle over and wax went all over the white carpeted stairs.....she was mortified.

We kinda laugh about it.....4 years later, but they were cool about it.

Tony M

Glad you got most of it off.

I bought a center speaker that had a wax run down the front. My wife had a an old wives trick of pouring close to boiling hot water over the cloth.

99% of the wax desolved. No damage to the cloth at all. Don't know about using this on electronics though but for cloth.. it works great.

nooshinjohn

Recommend the fridge over the freezer as all you need is for the wax to be cold in order for it to release more easily. you may also need to take it apart and clean inside, whish may require professional help if you cannot see how it comes apart.

My Harmony 1100 does everything, including set-up functions, so I would get one of these over the factory unit if you are considering replacing it.

Drenis

There is a rule, no candles near or on the electronics IF lit.

When I had my old Bose towers, a tea light melted the top of the speaker smooth from its textured surface. I made that rule very fast.

Polkersince85

Candles are stupid, IMO. Hope you get it cleaned up.

Strong Bad

Glowrdr wrote: »

So after I've cooled off a little bit, and told the wife to remove any candles from the living room, I need your help.

Long story short, the wife was "moving" a candle for whatever godforsaken reason a woman feels like randomly moving a candle for (when there are already 3 in the room lit)

Sorry buddy, but I had to laugh at this! It's just the way you worded it! I'm guessing she moved the candle because...uhhh...hmmm...now let me see...ya know, I really have no idea. You let us know when you find out.

[Deleted User]

Polkersince85 wrote: »

Candles are stupid, IMO. Hope you get it cleaned up.

Don't make me have to report you to the Candle Anti-Defamation League.

dorokusai

Freezer or new remote. I don't believe wax is a conductor so as long as it's aesthtically useable, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

tonyb

Freezer all the way, hold the remote upside down and scrap off the wax so no little chips fall inside. Also a rule in my house, no liquid anything near the electronics. You should have saw my wifes face the first time I saw her put a vase on one of my speakers.

20hz

Polkersince85 wrote: »

Candles are stupid, IMO. Hope you get it cleaned up.

I never did understand them fully , maybe in the bathroom (wife takes a relaxing bath) but in the living room really a open flame that can burn down the house I see no logic there .
A friend of mine had one of those large 3 wick candles lite he forgot to blow it out and left for the weekend , well all was fine and the candle was still burning when he got home sunday !

Glowrdr

Alright - so I've got everything probably 80% cleaned up. I was unsuccessful in taking the remote apart. Looks like there are clips along the whole side of the remote (broke one, and I can't even get the others to budge). So I'm to the point I need to start looking into "actual" cleaning solutions. The toothpick and my fingernail won't get me too much further.

Anyone have any experience with cleaning remotes? I see there is a goo-gone product that specifically says its for wax, and is also says it's non-messing my stuff up (whatever they called it)

Looking at like the goo-gone, alcohol wipes (I do IT for a hospital, all of them I can get my hands on), or something else. What I'm afraid of is wiping off the lettering of the remote. Hopefully someone has either tried with success, or can tell me of a horror story so I can avoid making the same mistakes. lol

Libertyc

Buy your wife some of those battery powered LED candles. They flicker and look real. Most are automatic on/off and some even smell like a real candle.

Theheadsn

Worse comes to worse I can sell you mine, I never really USE it for my 37, least the way I want haha

the REAL question is why was she outta the kitchen long enough to spill the candle? lol chains working itself loose again I think

Glowrdr

I think I've got it all cleaned up so that everything looks and functions as it should. I guess at this point it looks just like everyone elses remote probably does. Just not MY remote. (I say this based on all the cheetos that come tumbling out of these laptops people want me to work on during my spare time)

As for the kitchen, I may have to figure something out. I gave her some slack so she could do some laundry too, but I left the living room open. lol. Maybe I'll have to baby-gate that area off. :cheesygrin:

drumminman

Libertyc wrote: »

Buy your wife some of those battery powered LED candles. They flicker and look real. Most are automatic on/off and some even smell like a real candle.

+1 the battery powered ones look absolutely real. They even randomly flicker like real candles. We have a bunch that my wife bought at Costco. You can program 'em to turn on and off - ours are on around 5-6 hours a night, the batteries last around 3 months.