Are you one of the millions of people who buy a candle, put it in your living or dining room, light it and then keep your fingers crossed that it burns right and that it will give you the fragrance once lit? If so, then you are not alone.
Also, did you know, however, that there is a right way to burn a candle? No? Neither do a lot of people, but there is. This is why I have decided to write this blog about getting the best from your candles.To get the best out of your candles, there are some things you need to remember.
The first and most obvious thing is to always buy a quality candle. Cheap candles such as those found in pound shops and budget candles are not good for your health, and do not usually burn well or give the fragrance throw you want. They are more often than not imported in bulk and can contain all kinds of nasties such as ground plastics, toxic chemicals and lead, to name but a few. They can be highly carcinogenic (cancer causing). It is best to purchase candles made here in the UK by reputable businesses.
Whilst we are discussing candles, it is important and relevant to mention the containers the candles are in. Many cheap candles use containers that aren’t very safe and can explode or crack as has been seen in the news recently. This is especially true of cheap imports or craft candle makers that make candles as a hobby and like to sell a few here and there at craft fairs, but do not understand (or choose to ignore) that there are regulations to follow governing container safety as well as the actual candle making process.
It is also important to note that whilst the candlemaker can do everything in their power to make a candle as safe as possible, common sense must also be used. Follow these tips for safely burning candles to get the best fragrance from them:
- Do not place the candle near flammable items such as curtains or tablecovers.
- Always make sure that you place your candle on a heatproof stable surface where it will not be knocked by animals (cats are the worst for this), or grabbed by children etc.
- Never leave a burning candle unattended as a lot of home fires are started this way – (you nip out of the room, get distracted and then forget about it).
- When you light your candle for the first time, always burn it until the wax melt pool has burned right across the candle diameter from edge to edge, to avoid tunnelling where the wax burns down and creates a tunnel in the wax, preventing it from burning properly on subsequent burns.
- Never burn your candle for more than 4 hours maximum at a time and do not relight for 24 hours.
- Always trim your wick between each burn to no more than 5mm high. Do this whether it is a wood or a cotton wick. A wood wick can be a little shorter if anything.
- To trim, you can either use specialised wick trimmers (which can be found in our shop) or, once cooled, it is possible to nip off the burnt wood of a wooden wick with your fingertips.
- If a candle is too strong for a small room, move it to a larger room.
- Be aware that fragrances smell much stronger to animals and can be toxic to some so leave a door or window open or better still, burn in a room away from pets altogether.
- Leave the last 5 – 10mm of wax unmelted in the bottom of the container. This is for safety so that the candle container does not become too hot.
- Finally, do not move a candle once it is lit until it has been extinguished and cooled fully.
Follow these basic rules and you will enjoy your candles safely and get the best out of them.