CBS News Video - Burning Candles Safely

I just watched this news video done by CBS news on burning candles safely. It was a well done video and has some helpful information in it. I thought I'd share it just as a reminder to make sure to use your candles safely. Many times we (myself included) burn candles so frequently that we forget that if we are not careful we could injure our children or pets, or cause damage to our homes. The number one thing to keep in mind that was not mentioned in the news broadcast is NEVER leave a burning candle unattended. If you have to leave a room where a candle is lit, either blow the candle out or carefully take it into the other room with you. One of the most common areas I have seen lit candles left alone is in bathrooms. Many times the candles are left lit on the back of toilets. I don't think that the back of a toilet is a good place for a lit candle because someone with long hair, or a hooded sweatshirt could end up catching themselves on fire. Keep lit candles out of the reach of children. I know when my two girls were younger they were fascinated by the flicker candle flame. They also knew that the whole purpose of lighting candles was to blow them. Where did they learn that? The joy of blowing out birthday candles of course. So to kids, candles are a fun play thing. Please, please, please use candles responsibly. Now that everyone is terrified of candles, come check out our site for a wide selection of candles at really affordable prices.

Is The Scent Gone?

When we make our scented candles the fragrance is added to the liquid wax prior to pouring it into the molds or glass jars. So the candle is scented the same strength from top to bottom. This is how most candle manufacturers make their candles. Occasionally we get a customer that says when they first light a candle it smelled but after a while the scent was gone. The easiest way to explain this is the "fish analogy". If you have ever cooked fish in your kitchen you instantly smell it as it heats up and for a long time after it has been eaten but eventually you stop noticing it altogether. The fishy smell is gone. However, if someone else comes into your home they can instantly tell you cooked fish for dinner. So why can they smell it and you cant? The olfactory receptors in your nose that detect smell become accustom to it and have stopped sending neurological signals to your brain to tell you that fish is in the air. One of the easiest ways to get around this issue is to use multiple conflicting fragrances, one at a time. Burn one fragrance for a while then switch to another and so on. This helps to continually stimulate the sensors in your nose and trigger the signal to your brain. There are some poor quality candles out there that don't have a very strong scent, you're on your own to figure those out. Just remember, you can get a great smelling candle without spending a ton of money on a name brand.

Way Too Short?

A few posts back I gave a tip on burning candles involving wick trimming. Today I was getting ready to light a candle in my home and I trimmed my wicks prior to lighting it. Lately I have been burning our new 2 wick 12oz soy candles. I trimmed both wicks but on the second one I snipped it a little too short. I went ahead and lit them both to see if it might turn out all right. In about 5 minutes the short wick was out. I realized I should have included a tip in my prior post on how to fix a candle with a wick that is too short. There are two simple methods to use in this situation. If your candle is a multi-wick candle you can try lighting both wicks and see what happens. If after a few minutes the short wick goes out, simply pour out the liquid wax into the trash, trim the longer wick and re-light them. The second method can be used if not enough wax has been liquified or if your candle only has one wick. Using a butter knife, spoon, or other similar object, carve a layer of wax off the top of your candle and throw it out (or put it into a candle warmer). The re-light your candle, grab a book, and relax.

Candle Burning Tip

One of the single best things that you can do to keep your candles burn correctly is trim the wicks each time you light it. Candle wicks tend to get a little too long, the longer a candle burns. Of course there are exceptions. If you like to let your candles burn all day it would good to occasionally extinguish it and trim the wick back down to about a 1/4 inch. If you notice that you candles are burning hot (the flame seems big) you can trim the wick even a little shorter. Some fragrances burn a little "easier" than others like vanilla. Make sure that you keep the wick trimmings out of your candle. There are lots of special cutting tools available that will hold the wick piece so it doesn't fall in. We sell the Wickman Wick Trimmer which works nicely. A pair of scissors works fine too. Keeping your wick the right length will also help reduce sooting.

Don't be afraid of your candles. If you notice that the wick has drifted out of the center of the candle, use a knife or pair of scissors to move it back to center while the wax is warm.