How to Burn Candles
Burning a small candle
Burning a candle is not just the mere act of lighting up and burning a candle for light purposes, it is so much
more. If you adhere to the following candle burning tips, you will definitely extend the life of your candle so
as to get more enjoyment out of it.
In General:
- Never leave a burning candle unattended.
- Keep your burning candles away from children, pets and flammable objects like curtains, walls, blinds and
even hair spray.
- Ensure that the candle is on a flat, non-flammable, heat resistant surface. This will also protest your fine
furnishings.
- Always remove the wick that has been trimmed off.
- Keep foreign matter out of the candle – any debris in the melt pool will result in smoking.
- When developing carbon buildup on the candle wick (that typical
mushroom effect) then you should extinguish the candle and trim the candle wick to a ¼ inch. This should
eliminate smoking and lengthen the burn time of the candle.
- The candle should be cooled completely before trimming the
candle wick.
- Do not walk with lit candles, unless the candles are designed for that purpose. You could easily drop the
candle or the hot wax could fall on you.
- Keep candles out of direct sunlight to avoid fading.
- You should burn the container candle at least one hour per inch
for each diameter of the container. Allow me to illuminate: if you have 4 inch diameter jar candles, you
would want to burn them for at least 4 hours before extinguishing it. Burning the candle for a shorter
period will result in burning a hole right down the center of your jar candle and thus shorten the life of
your candle.
- Never burn jar candles down completely to the bottom of the container. The container could break. You should
stop burning jar candle candle when it reaches a height of about ½ inch from the bottom.
- Do not allow the flame to touch the sides of the container. The container can break when the glass comes
into direct contact with the heat of the flame.
- Containers of jar candles can become very hot, DO NOT try to move the candle until the jar is
completely cooled.
- Allow the candle to cool down completely before replacing the lid on the jar.
- Always place jar candles on a flat, non-flammable, heat resistant surface as hot candle jars can damage your
furniture.
- Do burn jar candles in a proper manner and keep the candle wick trimmed to about ¼ inch. All candles,
especially highly scented ones will produce smoke and soot, keeping the wick trimmed will help eliminate the
problem.
- Every time you light your pillar candles, be sure to burn it
long enough to form an even pool of wax across the surface. This will ensure that the candle will burn
evenly and efficiently from then on.
- You should burn pillar candles at least one hour per inch for each diameter of the candle. This should
result in an even pool of wax across the surface. Allow me to illuminate: if you have a 4 inch diameter
pillar candle, you would want to burn it for at least 4 hours before extinguishing it. Burning the candle
for a shorter period will result in the candle burning a hole right down the center and thus shorten the
life of your pillar candle.
- Always place your pillar candles on a flat, non-flammable, heat resistant surface as hot candles can damage
your furniture.
- Never burn pillar candles in a draft. This will result in uneven burning and the flame can also start a
fire.
- Gently rub with a fine mesh stocking to heighten the gloss and remove scratches. You pillar candles will
then always appear new.
- These candles are designed to liquefy in a pool of wax and should thus always be burned in a tight fitting
votive candle holder. A snug fitting, flat-bottomed candle holder is
advisable to insure proper burning time.
- You should always remove the metal wick clip and the bottom burn labels before adding a new
votive candle to the holder.
- Votive candles should never be burnt completely to the bottom. About ½ inch of un-melted candle wax should
always be left behind. If not, your candle wick will fall over to the side of the votive and could possibly
cause breakage.
Troubleshooting and Other Helpful Tips
How To Remove Wax:
Run very hot water over the candle wax that has spilt. This should loosen the wax and causes it to pull away from
the sides of the container. It can then be removed easily.
Make use of toenail clippers to trim wicks in container jars. Scissors do not quite fit in the jar as the
candle burns down.
It does happen that the candle wick sometimes goes off center. Use a butter knife or something
non-flammable to gently push it back to the center. Take care not to let the flame touch the sides of the
container or else the container might break, especially if it's glass.
When Your Candle Does Not Burn Clean Down the Edge:
Rotate the candle if it does not burn clean down the edge. A small draft could be the culprit.
How To Clean Black Soot Buildup:
Make use of baby wipes to clean black soot buildup from the inside of the container. Allow the container
to dry completely and thoroughly before relighting the candle.