Candle Care Tips: How To Burn Your Candles Properly
You’ve just received your Zeke Candle order. Now what?
Candles are life’s little luxuries to be cared for. Just like how showering a seedling with some love (and water) will ensure that it grows and blossoms, putting in a little effort in caring for your candles can go a long way. Soy candles especially are known to be temperamental. In this article, we have rounded up some maintenance tips that help enhance your candles’ longevity, improve their performance and most importantly, help you get maximum value out of every last drop of wax.
Safety Tips
· Zeke Candles undergo many rounds of testing and are held to the highest performance and safety standards. However, always remember that open flames are potential fire hazards and should not be left unattended.
· Place candles on flat heat-resistant surfaces to avoid damaging your furniture. When candle wax is almost at the bottom of the jar, placing your candle on a ceramic plate, candle holder, coaster or glass plate could help to absorb and disperse heat.
· Avoid placing candles where there is strong wind such as next to a window, air condition unit or fan. Strong drafts may cause flames to flicker and candles to burn unevenly.
· Keep candles away from flammable objects such as curtains, papers, beddings, books and carpets.
· Keep candles away from children or pets.
· Extinguish all candles before leaving a room.
· Do not move a burning candle or when the wax is liquified. If you really have to, check that the candle jar exterior is not too hot to handle before you move it.
The First Burn
Just like how first impressions count, your candle’s first burn matters too.
· Ensure that the entire surface of your candle is liquified before extinguishing the flame on your candle’s first burn. It may take approximately a few hours to achieve a full melt pool. Doing so will reduce the likelihood of tunneling, which occurs when a rim of solid wax on the outer edges never gets melted.
· Use a wick dipper or snuffer to extinguish the flame. Blowing out a flame if not advised because it may cause hot wax to spill out. If you have to blow out a flame, do so gently.
· After extinguishing the flame on your candle’s first burn, gently cover it with a lid or bell jar to avoid dust from mixing with the wax. You may lightly place the lid over your candle without securing it as the force of securing the lid tightly may cause wax to spill.
· Do not move your candle until the wax has solidified. Otherwise, it may have a cracked or uneven surface after it has solidified.
Subsequent Burns
· Trim your candle wick to approximately 1/4 inch using a wick trimmer or a pair of scissors before every burn. This helps to ensure a clean and even burn. It prevents flame from getting too big as well. Be careful not to trim it too short as your candle may be hard to lit.
· Store your candle in a cool place. Constant temperature fluctuations can speed up your candle’s aging process and deteriorate its quality and scent.
· Burn your candle for approximately 2 – 4 hours at a time. If the burn time is too short, it may cause the candle to tunnel. If the burn time is too long, the flame may get too big and burn off the fragrance oil resulting in a weaker scent.
· If you notice your wick starting to mushroom or the flame getting too big, extinguish the flame and wait for the wax to solidify. Then, trim the wick before lighting the candle again.
· Retire your candle when there is around 1/2 inch of wax left at the bottom. Burning a candle all the way down could potentially overheat the jar and ruin the surface it is put on.
· When lighting a few candles at once, keep them at least 5 – 6 inches apart if not they may cause each other to heat up.
· Do not freeze your candles as doing so will cause the wax to crack and it will be harder to get a clean and even burn. It is a myth that freezing them can make them last longer.
