Caring for your candle may seem like common sense: Keep it in eye sight, don't sit it by drapes and blow it out when you're done. Surprisingly, some people still break some of the most basic commandments when caring for their candle and many people are unaware of some easy ways to keep a candle long-lasting and safe during the life of the candle.
Here are some simple tips to care for your candle and to enjoy it for many days and weeks to come:
1. When you first light a candle, give the candle enough time to completely melt the edges of the container. This will prevent "tunneling", where a pool will form around the wick and slowly sink the wick into the candle making it unusable.
2. Always keep your eye on a candle. Never leave a burning candle unattended, if you can, and never go to sleep with one burning.
3. Most candle authorities recommend that you do not burn a candle for no more than 3-4 hours at a time. Dunno about you, but I tend to break this rule myself and often (mainly for testing, but sometimes it smells just THAT good). Try, if you can, to blow it out after 4 hours.
4. Place your candle on a stable, solid surface and away from flammable objects like curtains, drapes, hanging clothes, washcloths, posters, lampshades or other flammable objects that are typically within in a home.
5. Trim the wick to 1/4 inch before each use. Particularly with wooden wicks, trimming the wick is ideal for extending the life of the candle and will help with not having an "out-of-control" flame as the candle burns. Cutting away any mushrooming carbon balls from cotton wicks and trimming down the charred, burned portion of a wooden wick helps with longevity of the candle and cuts down on soot around the candle rim.
6. Keep candles away from pets and children. Believe it or not, these are two of the major reasons candles get knocked over and a fire starts within a home. Also, we don't want our kids or furry members burned by accident.
7. Lastly, blow out your candle when you're finished, if you plan on working in another part of your home or garden, going to sleep, or when you are leaving the house. Many people actually do not do this and I always go by the rule: If I am going to be out of a room for more than 15 mins, I will either take it with me or blow out the candle then I will relight it an hour or so later after it has cooled.
Candle Care equals Candle Safety. You can never be too careful when it comes to the safety of your family, pets and your home.
We hope this blog post helps and gave you some extra information on caring for your candle in a safe and controlled environment. If you ever need one of our Candle Care Cards, click our Contact Us Tab or you can send us an e-mail at customerservice@gloverapothecary.com and we will mail one out to you for free.
Stay safe and we hope you have a fantastic week!