Candle Care Guide

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Candle

Trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting.

We’ve carefully selected the perfect size wick to ensure a consistence burn and to avoid carbon buildup and mushrooming. However, sometimes the wick may need to be trimmed. Always make sure your wick is 1/4 inch before burning and trim as necessary. Use a wick trimmer for best results.

Trimming the wick will help prolong the life of your candle, ensure a long, even burn, and prevent flaring and sooting. (Trim the solidified candle upside down to prevent soot falling into the wax.) Also, make sure you clear away any debris in the wax.

Burn your candle 3 to 4 hours at a time.

The first burn is the most important. Burn your candle long enough so that the melt pool extends all the way to the edge of the candle jar. This will help “set its memory” and avoid tunneling. (A good rule of thumb is to burn about one hour per inch of the jar’s diameter.)

If you snuff out your candle before the wax has a chance to melt all the way to the edge of the jar, when it drys it will create a ring of wax. The next time you burn your candle, the melt pool will only extend as far as that ring, thus creating a tunnel effect. It will continue to tunnel for the life of the candle. (That’s extra waxy goodness going to waste! And tunnels aren’t exactly the best at releasing the fragrance oil to their full potential.)

Burning your candle 3-4 hours at a time will help extend the life of your candle, increase burn time, and allow the fragrance to reach its maximum benefit. (Plus the flame looks more beautiful and glows more radiantly against our colored glass jars versus hiding behind a thick wall of wax.)

If you burn your candle longer than the recommended time, it may cause carbon to collect on the wick, creating a “mushroom” effect. This can cause the wick to become unstable and produce a dangerously large flame. Plus, your candle will start to smoke and release soot.

Let your candle cool for a minimum of 2 hours before relighting. (And don’t forget to trim the wick!)

Avoid burning your candle near drafts.

Keep your burning candle away from drafty areas. A constant flow of air may cause the flame to create an uneven burn. It may also cause the candle to put off soot and create unsightly marks on the jar. A sudden gust of air could extinguish the candle before it’s had a chance to burn for a proper amount of time and may cause wax splattering.

Store your candles properly.

Avoid placing your candles in direct sunlight. Store candles in a cool, dark and dry place with the lid on to keep them free from dust and debris. This will also help protect the wax and fragrance. Our fragranced candles have a shelf life of 6 to 12 months. Fragrance oils can deteriorate with time. For best results, we recommend enjoying your candles as soon as possible.

Always Practice Candle Safety

(From the National Candle Association)

When lighting a candle, use long matches or a long-reach lighter. Keep your hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
Never leave a candle unattended.
Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
Never touch or move a candle while it is burning or while the wax is liquefied.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 1/2 inch remains in the container or 2 inches if using a pillar candle.
Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
Never use a candle as a night light or while you may fall asleep.
Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled.
Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.