How to Clean Beeswax
Beeswax is a valuable natural substance with many creative uses. From candles to skincare products, beeswax has much to offer. However, raw beeswax straight from the hive is not suitable for all purposes. In this guide, I will share my favorite ways to clean (or render) beeswax. The cleaner your wax, the better your final product will be!
When I harvest wax from my hives, I want to save every scrape. There are so many ways to use beeswax but you want to work with as pure a product as possible. Can beeswax be dirty? Perhaps, not in the way you think but it can have impurities.
Why Cleaning Beeswax is Necessary
Raw beeswax, whether collected from hive cappings, burr comb, or old frames, contains natural impurities that must be removed before use.
By melting and filtering out unwanted debris, our wax is ready for any project. This is especially important if you want to make beeswax candles.
Impurities in wax (even honey residue) will clog the wick and leave you with a sputtering mess!
Natural Impurities
While in the hive, beeswax is exposed to many substances that need to be filtered out.
- honey residue (leftover honey makes wax sticky)
- pollen and bee propolis (cause wax to darken and affects quality)
- bee parts and debris (no one wants that in their lotion bar!)
Tools & Supplies Needed
Of course, the exact tools and supplies needed to render beeswax will depend on which method of cleaning you choose. In all cases, you will need a heat source and some type of filter material.
Thankfully, there are several options – some are more suited for beekeepers cleaning a large amount of beeswax – others are fine for crafters working with smaller portions.
Safety Concerns
Melting beeswax is fairly easy because it has a melting point of about 147°F. However, it is flammable and will ignite if over heated.
The double boiler method (2 pots-with water in the bottom pot and wax in the top) is the safest.
People can and do use a microwave (or their oven?) to melt beeswax but I do not recommend it. The opportunity for overheating, fire or a very big mess is too great.
Likewise, it is safer to use a heat source without an open flame. An electric burner is a bit safer than a gas stove with open flames.
Regardless of the method you use, you must be vigilant to avoid fire or burns. Protect surfaces with newspaper or plastic drop cloths. Never leave melting wax unattended.
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Preparing Beeswax for Rendering
For beekeepers, the process usually begins while extracting honey. The wax cap is removed from honey cells to allow the honey to flow out. If you only have a couple of boxes to harvest, it’s fun. Once you have 10 or more boxes, it’s work!
The amount of honey in the cappings can be quite significant and worth saving. The 2 common methods of separating the wax and honey are using a double bucket system or a honey filter bag.
Double Bucket System
I often use a 2 bucket process to separate my beeswax from honey. A tall 5 gallon bucket is the base. A slightly shorter bucket close to the same diameter is placed inside the large bucket.
Because of the top rims of both buckets, this usually results in a space of several inches being open in the bottom of the larger bucket. This is the collection space for honey.
The smaller bucket has many holes drilled in the bottom. Cut cappings (or crushed comb) are collected and placed in top bucket with holes. Any remaining honey drips down into a clean chamber.
Left to drain overnight – most of the honey drips through into the bottom container. Of course, this is done inside my honey house where no bees can get in.
Use a Filter Bag
You can also use a filter bag (or strainer bag) to hold the wet cappings. Some beekeepers use paint bags or cheese cloth.
Suspended over a clean bucket, any residual honey will drip into the bucket in a few hours. Use good hygiene when filtering honey and it can be used or sold.
Warning – the bag will be heavy! Tie the bag to something sturdy enough to handle the weight. This must be done in a warm, bee tight location.
As part of my cleanup regime, I like to rinse the stickiness out of the cappings wax. Only use cool clear water. It is as simple as placing your cappings in a bucket and adding water ( similar to washing green beans). 🙂
Place a clean strainer bag in a 5 gallon pail – then add wax. Fill 3/4 of the bucket with cool water and hand wash the wax .
And for heavens sake don’t wash wax in your kitchen sink! How do you spell clogged drain? One way is B-E-E-S-W-A-X.
For Crafters
For non beekeepers, perhaps some of the initial work has already been done. You are faced with various blocks of wax or a bucket of cappings wax.
Before further cleaning, remove any obvious sticks, pieces of wood, bee body parts etc. Large chunks of beeswax will take longer to melt than small pieces. Consider breaking them up into smaller pieces with a hammer.
Either way, we want to melt the wax slowly and at the lowest temperature possible to preserve its quality and color. Even though the color of beeswax does not really imply quality – most people prefer golden or light colored wax.
Methods for Cleaning Beeswax
Even if the wax appears to be clean – it may not be ready to use for every type of project. How you proceed from here depends on the amount of beeswax you want to render and the tools at your disposal.
Here are the most common methods:
- water bath
- double boiler method
- crockpot or slow cooker
- solar melter
Water Bath Method
The water bath method is one of the simplest ways to clean beeswax. By melting beeswax directly in water impurities separate from the wax and sink to the bottom. It is often used in combination with other methods for really pure wax.
Equipment Needed
- raw beeswax
- large pot (dedicated for wax)
- water
- heat source
Step by Step Instructions
In a large pot (dedicated to be your wax melting pot), add a few cups of water. Place beeswax cappings or small pieces of wax directly into the water.
Turn the heat source on low to low-medium heat – the water should not boil. As the wax slowly melts, occasionally stir with a wooden skewer, etc. When the wax is completely melted, remove the pot from heat source and allow to cool.
Once cool, you should have a cleaner block of wax. You can discard the dirty water.
Double Boiler Method
A double boiler is the safest method for cleaning beeswax. One pot sitting on the stove contains water. A smaller pot sits inside and holds your wax. You can use full sized pots of course – but, I love these small melting pots for small amounts of wax.
This setup allows the heat to be transferred from the water to spread uniformly around the upper pot. There is less chance of over heating the wax or causing a fire!
Equipment Needed
- raw beeswax
- double boiler
- strainer or cheesecloth
- heat source
- flexible heat resistant container
Step by Step Instructions
Set up your double boiler. Place water in the larger pot and beeswax to the smaller pot that fits on top. Gradually heat the water causing the beeswax to melt. Gently stir the wax as it melts to promote even heating.
Once the wax is liquid, carefully pour it through a straining material. Use cheese cloth, nylons, paint strainers or old sweatshirt material for straining.
If you quickly wipe out the wax pot with paper towels – it will remove most of the wax. But, you need to have dedicated utensils, dishes or pots for wax work.
Using a Crockpot
Using a crockpot to render raw beeswax is a convenient and (mostly) hands-off method. It allows you to slowly melt the wax at a steady and controlled temperature. This method works well when you have a a quantity of beeswax to large to clean in a double boiler.
Equipment Needed
- uncleaned wax
- crockpot (slow-cooker) with adjustable temperature
- strainer or cheesecloth
- flexible container for collecting clean wax
Place the crockpot on a flat, heat-resistant surface. Sometimes you can find a used one at a thrift store that can be dedicated to wax cleaning. Another option, use disposable crockpot liners to make cleanup after a breeze.
Set the temperature setting on the crockpot to “warm” or the lowest temperature setting. Place the lid on the crockpot and allow several hours for the wax to melt.
The time required depends on room temperature, crockpot setting and the amount of wax in the pot. nce all of the beeswax is melted, turn off the crockpot.
Place a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a clean container. Carefully, pour the molten wax through it into the collection container. Be careful – hot wax can burn you. Let the hot wax cool and solidify.
Clean Beeswax in a Solar Melter
A popular option for beekeepers with a lot of raw wax or a crafter with a tiny amount is a solar melter. The melter is made from a container that holds some heat with a glass top that lets in sun.
My melter is made from an old steel box with a heavy piece of glass on top. It is really ugly and looks gross but it does the job well.
Fresh wax cappings are placed into a pan inside the box that sits at an angle. Underneath, a tray with a small amount of water will collect the dripping wax as the heat of the sun melts it.
As temperatures drop, the wax will cool into solid form in the tray. Once cooled, I can remove the solid chunk and discard any water.
The water will be dirty and have honey residue – do NOT feed it to your bees. It may make them sick. (In many cases it is not good advice to feed honey to your bees anyway.)
For small jobs, you can make your own solar melter using an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler (or similar container) and a sheet of glass.
Storing Clean Beeswax
Beeswax does not require any special storage procedures. Clean beeswax doesn’t spoil like food, but it can absorb odors, collect dust, or become discolored if not stored correctly.
There are many types of silicone molds in a variety of shapes that makes storing and stacking beeswax easy to do. Then, it will be ready for any special projects when you need it.
Expert Tips
Beeswax is flammable at high temperatures. At about 400° F, it will flare and burn. **Be careful – always take proper precautions to prevent burns and fire**
Raw beeswax is often sold in larger cakes or a wax disc, luckily wax is brittle when cold – you should be able to hit it with a hammer and break off chunks.
You will hear the term “rendering” in regards to cleaning beeswax. It means the same thing-its an older beekeeping term.
It is important to remember that you do not want to overheat your beeswax (below 200°F). Too much heat will reduce the nice aroma and darken the color.
Cooled wax will NOT easily come out of every type of container-use something that is flexible. Leave your wax to cool and harden over night.
Ideas for Use
What will you do with your cleaned beeswax?
- create unique and beautiful beeswax candles with dried flowers
- creating a special batch of homemade beeswax lip balm
- natural beeswax furniture polish
- try making your own bees wax melts-customize their scent with different fragrances
- you can even make your own beeswax crayons – a great non toxic item for the kids
FAQs
Yes, beeswax will cause fire if overheated. The flashpoint of beeswax is about 400°F.
Cleaning beeswax is essential to remove impurities. Raw wax can contain pollen, debris, honey or dirt. The appearance and safety of your final products depends on clean wax.
You can use beeswax without cleaning it for some projects. Homemade beeswax firestarters do not require clean wax. However, dirty wax can clog the wick of beeswax candles.
No, there is no perfect method to clean raw beeswax. It depends on your preferences and the resources that you have available.
Yes, but the risk of a big mess and overheating could be an issue. The heat should be at the lowest possible setting and constant surveillance is needed.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning beeswax is not difficult. This valuable honey bee product sells for more per pound than honey. With a little patience and the right setup, you can turn raw wax into a beautiful, ready-to-use material for all kinds of projects. Whether you’re a beekeeper or a crafter, freshly rendered beeswax is a joy to work with.