All About Candles
& Candles Tips
It used to be that when
discussing all about candles the only talk was about
their use to provide light in emergency situations, but
this is not the case any more. We now talk about candles
a lot more, about their use to set the mood for a
romantic evening, or to decorate a room. We talk about
using 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 to mention, 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.
Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your
Candles
Most
households have candles in them, but whereas they used to
be there for emergency power outages, they are now in homes
as decorations, or in the case of aromatherapy candles, to
add a certain aroma to the air. Now although there are lots
of candles around and they have come down in price a lot -
they are sold in dollar stores throughout the country - you
want to get your money's worth from them, so here are a few
tips and tricks to help you.
Keep the
wick of the candle trimmed to about 1/4 inch. If you allow
the wick to get longer the chances are that the candle will
burn much faster, and also will cause more smoke. If you
find the candles are causing soot to collect on the
container, then that is because the wick is too long and
needs trimming. If you have nail clippers, you may find
that these do a better job of wick trimming than
scissors.
Keep
your candles away from drafty areas because drafts cause
the candles to burn unevenly, and sometimes cause more
smoke too. This means keeping burning candles away from
forced heating vents, air conditioning vents, or open
windows and doors.
Did you
know that cold candles burn slower? The best way to make
them cold is to first of all wrap them individually in foil
or cling wrap. This will prevent the wick from becoming
moist. Then put them in the fridge for roughly an hour.
After this, remove them from the wrap and light them. Do
not freeze candles, as they will break if you
do.
If you
are burning pillar candles, it is best to let them burn for
at least an hour for each inch in diameter, as this will
stop the candle burning through like a
tunnel.
When
extinguishing a candle, use a candle snuffer, which are
easily purchased these days. You can blow the candle out,
but to prevent the splattering of hot wax, place your
finger in front of the candle flame, and blow gently. The
air will be forced around your finger (index finger works
best), but still extinguishes the
flame. That is a
neat trick about candles that not many
people know.
Always
keep your lit candles well out of the reach of children and
pets, and never leave lit candles unattended. Candles
should be burnt in a well ventilated room
too.
If you
do happen to spill candle wax on your carpet, it is best to
remove it by placing a paper towel over the spill, and then
run a warm iron over the towel. The iron will heat the wax
enough to melt it, and the towel will absorb it. 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.
So, when
you are thinking about candles, think about the pleasure they
can give to others, and think about making your own unique
candles - it's not difficult to do, and you can
personalize them for your
friends.
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