7 Tips for Burning the Perfect Candle
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.
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
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