Candles are for All
Occasions
It used to be that candles were only used to
provide light in emergency situations, but this is not
the case any more. We now use them to set the mood
for a romantic evening, or to decorate a room. We
use aromatherapy candles to help relieve stress or help
relax us after a hard day at work, and we have scented
candles to arouse our sense of smell. We have so many
different kinds of candles, from pillar candles to
scented jar candles to ear candles to votive
candles to soy candles to gel candles, and
with the different types come a variety of candle
holders, designed to appeal to many audiences.
No matter the type of candle, there are some
ways to make them last longer, and to make them safer to
burn too. Have a look at the following tips and enjoy
your candles for longer.
7 Tips for Burning the Perfect
Candle
by: Chere
Deshayes
Tapers, columns, votives, containers, pillars
and novelty - chances are you have at least one of these types
of candles in your home. Surveys done by candle manufacturers
suggest that 7 out of 10 U.S households use candles, 96% of
which are purchased by women. The basics for candles are easy,
just light them! However, if you want to get the most out of
your candles and not watch your money go up in smoke
(literally), here are seven tips to
follow.
1. KEEP THE WICK
TRIMMED
One of the best things that you can do for your
candles is to keep the wick trimmed to ¼ of an inch.
Wicks that are allowed to get larger than ¼ of an inch
tend to burn faster and smoke. If you are noticing black
soot accumulating on your container candles, the wick is
too long. Nail clippers are a great tool for trimming
wicks that can’t be reached with scissors.
2. AVOID DRAFTS
Burning candles in drafty areas can cause uneven
burning and excessive smoking. Not to mention that your
candle will burn faster. If you notice the flame of the
candle flickering in any direction other than straight
up, there is a draft. Prevent drafts by keeping burning
candles away from heating and air-conditioning vents and
open windows.
3. REFRIGERATE THEM
Candles that are cold will burn slower. To cool
you candle, first wrap in foil or cling wrap to prevent
the wick from absorbing any moisture. Pop them in the
fridge for about an hour and light! Make sure you don’t
put them in the freezer instead. They will
break!
4. BURN THEM LONG
ENOUGH
Have you ever seen a three-wick candle that
looked like Mickey Mouse? For pillar candles, make sure
you burn them for at least one hour for every inch in
diameter. Skip this step and you’ll end up burning a
tunnel through your candle.
5. EXTINGUISHING THE
FLAME
To blow out a candle, a candle snuffer works
best. If you don’t have a candle snuffer readily
available, you can blow out the candle by placing an
index finger in front of the flame and blowing gently.
This causes the air to surround the flame and minimizes
splattering of hot wax from the wax pool.
6. SAFETY FIRST
Keep all lit candles out of the reach of
children and pets. Never leave a burning candle
unattended. And always burn candles in a well-ventilated
room.
7. CLEANUP
If wax has spilled on the carpet the best way to
remove it is with paper and an iron. Place a paper towel
or brown grocery bag over the spill. Place a heated iron
over the paper towel. The heat from the iron will cause
the wax to melt and be absorbed into the paper
towel.
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Make
sure that the iron is definitely on a low heat.
One of my daughter's friends tried this but her
iron malfunctioned, unfortunately overheating,
and this resulted in an iron-shaped burn mark
on the carpet that didn't impress her
landlord too much at the time! Oh well, it was
a good learning
experience.
~ Site Editor
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About The Author
Chere Deshayes is the president of Bath Plantation,
a company that specializes in fine handcrafted bath
and body products. Subscribe to her FREE newsletter
at http://www.bathplantation.com/newsletter.html or
visit her site at
http://www.bathplantation.com.
customerservice@bathplantation.com |
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