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Many people are not familiar with the proper
method of burning candles. Strangely enough, the better the quality of the
candle, the more care it requires. This is especially true of wick care.
Scented candles contain oils, and the oils will cause smoke and soot if the
wick is not properly maintained. Always keep your wick trimmed to 1/8”…ALWAYS.
This will eliminate smoke, as well as increase the burn time.
The following tips will also ensure a clean, safe, enjoyable burn.
- Make sure the jar does not have any chips or cracks, and never burn the candle to the very end…always leave 1/4” of wax on the bottom. If you’d like to use the last ¼” of wax, carefully chip out and use the chunks in a potpourri simmering pot, or place on a candle warmer
- Burn candles for 1 hour for each inch of its diameter. Allow the melt pool to reach the outer edges each time you light it. This will prevent hang-up wax on the sides of the jar. Ideally, a candle of 3” diameter should be burned for three to four hours, extinguished, and re-lit after cooling. This process allows for the most extensive burn time. Although many people like to burn their candles all day, the wick must still be trimmed to 1/8” throughout the day
- When burning scented candles, it is common for the wick to “mushroom”. Consider this a friendly reminder that you need to trim the wick
- Store candles in a cool, dry place away from light to prevent fading
- Always place your candles on a heat-resistant surface, away from flammable objects, pets and curious children
- Never allow the wick to touch the sides of container. To keep wick centered, extinguish flame and gently reposition wick after wax cools but is still soft
- Burning candles in a draft will cause the wick to smoke. To clean soot off of container, extinguish candle, clean jar with a dry paper towel, and move candle to a draft-free location
- Votives are designed to liquefy, and therefore must be placed in a snug-fitting glass container. The better the fit, the longer the burn time. Placing the votive in the refrigerator for a few minutes before lighting will also increase the burn time. Tightly wrap votives in plastic wrap before placing in refrigerator to avoid moisture
- Always extinguish candle before replacing lid. Never use water to extinguish a candle. Using a candle snuffer is the ideal method to extinguish the flame
- Most importantly….NEVER, NEVER, NEVER LEAVE A BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED!
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