Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Dirty Hearth

I have wax on my brick hearth. This wouldn't be a problem if I burned wood but is with gas. I lifted as much as possible using paper towels and an iron. I now have only a stain. Mineral spirits seems a good choice but I don't want the problem to get worse. Any suggestions?

Bricks are porous and absorbent. While you can scrape away wax and attempt to absorb it with warm iron and paper towels, you will not be successful in removing all of the wax because of the porous nature of the brick. While many report success using the warm iron method to remove wax, the process can actually drive the wax deeper into porous surfaces and fibers. Try a solvent cleaner like rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol. Mineral spirits will work, but it is a lot smellier than rubbing alcohol. Blot from outside stain toward middle to prevent spreading. An old tooth brush might be helpful, but take care to stroke toward middle of stain to prevent spreading.