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Original poster

My kids got baby-bell wax all over my mother in laws new sofa.

438 replies

jennan · 29/12/2023 23:00

Hey,
I'm not really sure how to use this website so apologies if wrong.
So I'm at my mother in laws house for Xmas and she had just brought herself this VERY expensive sofa for herself as a self gift.
she has just had it delivered today and its a brand new white sofa, as I have two boys (6 and 7) I told them not to go on it but my mother in law INSISTED they could go on it.
they had just finished watching TV and were getting ready for bed when my husband alerted me to the fact that someone had obviously eaten a baby-bell and than somehow sat on the wax, there is now a VERY noticeable red patch on the sofa.
I have removed the excess wax but there is still a stain.
my boys and mother in law are in bed now but I dont know how to remove it.
me and my husband dont have the money to replace this sofa and my mother in law doesn't really like me as it is.
Does anyone know how to remove cheese wax from a sofa?
Thanks.

OP posts:
Marmaladegin · 29/12/2023 23:57

Omg I didn't see it was white. If it's white I'd get DH to tell her and advise her to pay for specialist service. This is not a diy moment, as I don't think you'll get all the red dye out.

These things happen

Itslegitimatesalvage · 29/12/2023 23:58

jennan · 29/12/2023 23:56

We have just tried the iron and we managed to scrape a bit more wax of but the color is still there.
My mil doesn't have any ice🤦. My husbands just about to go to the local morrisons to get some.
I just might start buying my kids blocks of cheese instead of the wax covered ones 🤣.

Show quote history

why is he going out to get ice? Do you actually understand what it’s for?

Heat will melt the wax onto the paper. Ice will harden wax onto the paper. But you don’t have wax; it’s dye. The red dye will not come out using heat or ice.

jhy · 30/12/2023 00:01

She is going to notice. I think be honest. Just hope she doesn't freak at the kids but honestly nothing can be done. As I tell my husband it's all part and parcel of having kids.
My husband is a bit like this, he pretends he doesn't care if accidents happen 'they're kids let them!' but when they do happen; he thinks it could have been avoided and blame someone. Now I don't even let him pretend he would be ok with it and just take all risks out of the equation 😂

DaftyLass · 30/12/2023 00:01

If it's a food based dye, whitening toothpaste can help

Dillane · 30/12/2023 00:06

Peekingovertheparapet · 29/12/2023 23:05

You could try a warm iron over some greaseproof paper to try and melt it off.

what is the sofa made of? Could you use something to gently dissolve the wax, eg acetone free nail varnish remover?

or failing that, we had a sofa tht was destroyed by carpenters when only a week old; accidental slash with a Stanley knife. That was fixed by getting hold of some material and reupholstering the damaged part. If it’s a cushion that may not be expensive. You would not know our sofa had been damaged.

Good grief don’t put nail varnish remover on it.

Hayzl · 30/12/2023 00:14

How can you expect a child to be given a table of snacks next to where they are sitting and and stay standing to eat? They are kids.

It's almost like she set it up.

I Wouldn't let kids on my new white sofa and you also weren't prepared to but she insisted. Then gave them food.

I don't trust her.

Also it's for your DH to be honest and tell her- they're his kids it's his mum.

Arthursmom · 30/12/2023 00:16

I’d definitely go with ice and the hoover! I often use a vinegar/water solution after a first pass with ice. Leave it 20 mins then hoover. Definitely don’t ‘rub’ anything. Nightmare

HumourReplacementTherapy · 30/12/2023 00:20

OP PLEASE READ!!
Before you unleash anything else onto the red and white sofa....
If she has taken out insurance which means they'll come out and sort any stains, they tell you NOT to tackle the stain yourself or it will invalidate the option to use their service.

Saggypants · 30/12/2023 00:20

Stop doing shit to it, you'll make it worse!

Leave it until tomorrow and let MIL to seek advice from the manufacturer.

PeekABoo22 · 30/12/2023 07:43

@Hayzl so you are saying MIL went out of her way to destroy her new expensive sofa to make OP look bad? Oh fgs.....

PleaseBeADecentYear2024 · 30/12/2023 07:50

I'd just tell MIL so she can decide what to do about it. If you make it worse, then you will bear responsibility for some of it.

I wouldn't pay for it or towards cleaning. At most I'd agree to pay half. This is on MIL. You didn't want them on there, she set them up on there with snacks next to them, so this is on her.

BritneyBookClubPresident · 30/12/2023 07:53

Do not try to fix it yourself. Either needs an insurance claim or a professional sofa cleaning company

BeyondMyWits · 30/12/2023 08:04

Stop doing stuff. Just stop.

She will probably have insurance. Either from the sofa company or household accidental damage.

If not a specialist upholstery cleaner will be the best person to fix it.

AnotherEmma · 30/12/2023 08:06

jennan · 29/12/2023 23:10

Thanks for such quick reply's, I wasn't expecting that.
A lot of you have said to use a iron and paper so I'm going to try that, hope it works.
My mil has never liked me, she straight up refused to come to me and my husbands wedding, I think we are getting a bit better...
She DID tell the kids not to eat on it but brought them snacks and put it on a small table next to the sofa, she told them to stand up when they were eating it..

Edited

Why on earth do you visit a woman who doesn't like you?! F* that.

She is an absolute idiot, buying a brand new white sofa, and letting 6 & 7 year olds sit on it, and giving them snacks. If it's permanently stained then she brought it on herself.

Freeasabird76 · 30/12/2023 08:10

Yep,turn the cushions over,she let them use sofa,she gave them food close by.

EmptyYoghurtPot · 30/12/2023 08:11

Who the heck buys a white sofa? To be honest you lost me at ‘didn’t come to the wedding’ and ‘asked the kids to stand up whilst eating’.
She’s clearly batshit and will blame you for this. I’d cut my losses, confess all when she gets up and go home.

WonderingWanda · 30/12/2023 08:27

She can just claim on her home insurance, they will arrange a specialist cleaning company and if that fails will pay for a new sofa. We had a similar issue in the past with crayons. They are small children, if she decided to let them sit on her new white sofa then it's her fault. If she's nasty to you about it then just stop going to see her.

Devonshiregal · 30/12/2023 09:03

A tufted white sofa? Picture required

Lwrenagain · 30/12/2023 09:10

BLAME THOSE FUCKING CHRISTMAS ELVES!

another one with second hand anxiety for you 💐

TeaGinandFags · 30/12/2023 09:14

I wish you luck with the cleaning but a white sofa with small children, especially boys? That's a disaster waiting to happen. If MIL thinks 6/7 yr olds will stand nicely to eat,she's living in cloud cuckoo land.

Do the best you can and get DH to relay any bad news. My mum's friend bought a white leather sofa that her grsndchildren covered in felt tips. It was never white again.

Nomagicflute · 30/12/2023 09:15

Oh no. I don't know but to have kids sit on a new white sofa without a throw on is a
odd in terms of all concerned, mainly mil.

I'd just get oh to say say look I'm sorry there's a red mark on the sofa. I don't know if it had something to do with the kids or was like that.

It might be under warrantee or something. Don't do anything drastic with chemicals.

Pollyparkin · 30/12/2023 09:16

Send a pic of the fabric type?

Whatnowfgs · 30/12/2023 09:18

It might be better to confess and contact a professional cleaner.

Sorry you have this situation. Flowers

ohdamnitjanet · 30/12/2023 09:18

cestlavielife · 29/12/2023 23:07

She should have put something on it like a throw before inviting young kids to sit on a brand new white sofa .....

Definitely! It’s really not your fault @jennan plus it’s between your dh and her. But I feel your pain.

Nomagicflute · 30/12/2023 09:18

jennan · 29/12/2023 23:10

Thanks for such quick reply's, I wasn't expecting that.
A lot of you have said to use a iron and paper so I'm going to try that, hope it works.
My mil has never liked me, she straight up refused to come to me and my husbands wedding, I think we are getting a bit better...
She DID tell the kids not to eat on it but brought them snacks and put it on a small table next to the sofa, she told them to stand up when they were eating it..

Edited

Wait she put snacks next to the white sofa. Oh man...

There's no hope. It is what it is. If she isn't happy I wouldn't say this but she can only blame herself.

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