| I confess: I'm addicted to candles. I can't help myself. | | | | wicks in candles. This is no longer really a problem, |
| And, it's not just the romance, really. It's the way I | | | | since lead wicks were banned in the U.S. after 2003, |
| relax when there is a candle burning nearby. And, the | | | | and before then were chiefly limited to cheap |
| fragrance! I feel like I am being indulged, and I love it! | | | | imports. Today's metal-core wicks are made of either |
| If you are like me, however, you have no doubt | | | | tin or zinc, and have been repeatedly shown to be |
| experienced some challenges with burning candles, or | | | | safe for burning. |
| at least with certain candles. Sure, there are just | | | | In terms of placement, of course you want to make |
| some candles that aren't of a very good quality, | | | | doubly sure that your burning candles are kept well |
| including poor wax quality, excessive scented oils, and | | | | out of the reach of children and pets! Also, keep |
| air pockets, and there is nothing you can do about | | | | burning candles away from air drafts, as this can be |
| this except toss the candle. But, even with a quality | | | | one of the biggest contributors to smoking and |
| candle, there are some things you need to keep in | | | | sooting, as well as crackling. It also causes your |
| mind as you burn them in order to get the most | | | | candle to burn more quickly. |
| enjoyment out of them. Basically, I think these issues | | | | When not being burned, you will want to keep your |
| fall under a few categories: problems with lighting and | | | | candles out of direct sunlight, as this will cause the |
| burning, problems with the wick, problems with | | | | colors to fade much more quickly than normal. There |
| placement, problems with containers, and problems | | | | is nothing you can do about the normal fading, but |
| with extinguishing. | | | | you can at least slow it down by avoiding sunlight. |
| Before burning your candle, it is very important to | | | | You should burn your candles in containers whenever |
| make sure you trim the wick to ¼ inch. One | | | | possible, and always place a protective cloth or |
| of the main culprits in a smoking and sooting candle | | | | barrier underneath your candles, even with |
| flame is the wick being too long. Keeping it trimmed | | | | containers, to prevent burning and waxing on the |
| to ¼ inch will help prevent or cut down on this | | | | surface. Votive candles, in particular, are made to |
| problem. Also, keep it trimmed after every 3 or 4 | | | | burn more quickly and throw off more scent. You |
| hours of burning. In fact, that should be the | | | | can increase their burn time by placing them in |
| maximum amount of time you burn a candle each | | | | containers. The tighter the container, the better in |
| time. You need to make sure you burn it long enough | | | | this case. |
| so that the melt pool reaches the edge of the | | | | As your jar candles burn down, you may notice soot |
| container, and 3 or 4 hours is usually sufficient. If it is | | | | building up around the inside edges of the jar. This is |
| not, then your wick may be too small for the candle. | | | | easy to clean, and you can just wipe down the sides |
| Burning longer than that can also lead to the | | | | with a paper towel, perhaps with a little glass cleaner |
| formation of a mushroom head on the top of the | | | | on it. Another thing I sometimes notice as my jar |
| wick, which also contributes to smoking and sooting. | | | | candles burn down, is that the wick(s) begin migrating |
| If this happens, extinguish the candle, let the candle | | | | over toward the sides. You will want to try and |
| cool and the wax harden, and then trim the wick | | | | move them back toward the center, if possible, |
| back down to ¼ inch. | | | | before the wax re-hardens. |
| If your candle flame is too small, you may have | | | | To extinguish your candle, it is best to just put the lid |
| trimmed it too short. In this case, you will need to let | | | | over it, if you are using a jar candle. This will snuff it |
| it burn for awhile, then tilt the candle in each direction | | | | out and prevent the excessive smoking, as well. If |
| as it burns so as to melt more of the wax around | | | | you don't have a lid, then you can either use a candle |
| the wick. Then, extinguish the wick and clear the | | | | snuffer, or an even better method is to use an |
| wax around the wick and all of the way to the | | | | object to bend the wick over and push it into the |
| edges of the container, so as to lower the overall | | | | wax to snuff it out, then straighten it back out. This |
| level of wax in the container. Again, though, if it still | | | | will extinguish it and also fuel it for the next time you |
| tends to burn too small of a flame, the wick may be | | | | light it! Blowing it out is the least favorite option, as it |
| too small or of the wrong type for the candle. | | | | will continue to smoke for a long time. If you must, |
| On the other hand, if your flame is too large, in | | | | however, be sure you place your hand or some |
| addition to being dangerous, it will also shorten the life | | | | other barrier behind it before you blow, to prevent |
| of your candle, and it will contribute to excessive | | | | sparks and sooty pieces of wick from landing on |
| smoking and sooting. Trimming the wick to ¼ | | | | objects where they might catch fire. |
| inch should take care of this problem. | | | | So, light up, and enjoy! |
| Some have written about the danger of metal-core | | | | |