Candle Tips

General Safety for any Candle:

• Never leave a burning candle unattended!
• Keep wick trimmed to 1/4 inch at all times to avoid carbon build up on the wick (mushrooming), dark smoking, and soot in the air and on walls or furniture.
• Allow candle to cool before trimming wick or relighting.
• Burn in a draft free area clear of combustible material such as curtains, books, baskets, etc.
• Candles should be spaced apart while lit to prevent uneven burning.
• Keep the burn pool clean; never throw matches, wick trimmings or other foreign matter that could cause a fire into the candle.
• Avoid walking with lit candles.
• Keep candles out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
• Extremes of heat and cold should be avoided. Do not store candles in the freezer and never leave them in a hot car.
• Keep burning candles away from children and pets.
• Never extinguish candles with water.

Container/Jar Candles:

• To avoid glass containers shattering: Do not burn a candle in a container that is chipped or cracked.  Do not allow candle to burn completely down to the bottom of container, stop about 1/2 inch short.  Do not allow flame to touch sides of container.
• Containers may become very hot, handle with care!
• Allow candle to cool before replacing lid on jar.
• Container candles & votive containers should be set in a wire holder or on a trivet to protect surfaces from heat.  Hot candle jars can damage furniture. 
• All candles, especially highly scented ones, will produce some smoke and soot, but proper burning (keeping wick trimmed and avoiding drafts, etc.) will help eliminate this problem. 
• Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings; it might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.

Helpful Tips:

• Burn candles 1 hour for each inch of it's diameter.  This allows the flame time to melt the wax to the outer edge.  Burning less time will cause the candle to core burn down the middle & shorten burn time.  Example: a 3" wide candle should be burned for 3 hours at a time.
• Use toenail clippers to trim wicks in jars in which scissors won't fit.
• Candles will fade if left in direct sunlight or spotlights for extended periods of time. 
• Before a party, light and extinguish candles.  They  will light more quickly and easily later.
• Candles (generally tapers or pillars) refrigerated before using will burn more slowly and evenly.  Wrap in foil or plastic before refrigeration to prevent wicks from absorbing moisture. 
• To extinguish a candle, use a candle snuffer, or hold fingers in front of the flame and blow.  This will prevent hot wax from splattering on furniture.