One of the most important times of the year is approaching for many, Holy Week. If you leave Nazareno, you will be ready with the preparations: buy stamps, take out a ballot and prepare the tunic for a new penance station. Did you find it full of wax? Do not worry, because there are very simple homemade tricks with which in a very short time you will have the tunic as new.
The prints left by the Hermandades that perform their night of penance are spectacular, but not everything is so beautiful: the tunic of Nazarene ends up full of wax stains. This week we want to help you and do not be afraid to spoil it when cleaning it. There are some homemade methods with which the clothes will be as new and ready to go perfect in this Holy Week.
Let the wax dry
To treat the wax must be dry. Most likely it is when you arrive home after the penance season, but depending on the tissues (and the distance you live from the church), this may vary, so we recommend you check it. If you try to remove the wax while it is still wet, you run the risk, in addition to burn yourself, to further spread the stain and then have to work twice as much. Therefore, better wait a little and make sure it is completely dry. If you are urgent, you can apply cold with ice to accelerate the process.
Scrape with a knife
The next step is to try to remove as much as possible of the wax that protrudes with a knife. This must not have edge to avoid making a hole in the tunic. If you are afraid of spoiling it, take another less dangerous utensil, such as a spoon or spatula and remove as much as you can from the wax.
Photo of Baltasar Núñez
Pass the iron
Once all that is left is the wax stain on the fabric, it is time to remove the iron. Place a paper that is absorbent, such as brown or even a good kitchen paper, first on the tunic. Pass the iron through the area in question with the low temperature and without steam, so the remains of wax will pass to the paper and will go of the clothes.
You will probably have to change the paper several times when it is full of wax and there are still remains in the tunic. Continue the process until it is completely clean. Although the wax is completely gone, it is advisable to apply a stain remover on the part where the remains were. Once all this is done, you can wash it normally in the washing machine and you will have the perfect nazarene tunic.
In the case of not having a plate by hand or you prefer to use another tool, you only need something that releases enough heat to remove the wax, such as a hair dryer. Another option, although a little more spectacular, is to introduce the tunic into a large pot of boiling water with five tablespoons of baking soda.
Use alcohol
There are still more solutions! The latter option is to use alcohol. When you have removed the largest part of the wax with the spatula (as we explained before), wipe with a cloth wet with alcohol and rub the stain with intensity to remove it.
With these tips, you will have your Nazarene robe clean and ready for the next penance season with tools as simple as a scraping knife and an iron or dryer to apply heat.
If in spite of these tips you are not sure to apply them because of the type of fabric in your tunic or because wax has fallen to the hood and is made of materials such as velvet, we recommend you to ask for the help of a professional or go to a dry cleaner.
Photo of Baltasar Núñez
Until next week!
