Candle Maintenance

Trim the wick

After every 4 hours or so, trim your wick to about 1/8”. Never do this while your wick is still lit or even hot. Let the candle completely cool for at least 2 hours and then cut the excess. This will also allow you to shake off the trash without damaging your candle. A wick trimmer is a good utensil to have for this, but it is not necessarily needed to keep your wick properly trimmed.

 

Only you can prevent forest fires

Am I the only one that remembers Smokey the Bear? Yes, okay… In all seriousness, always be safe when enjoying your candle. Make sure your candle is on a heat resistant surface and never leave it unattended when you’re using it. Make sure you’re not in a drafty area and make sure to keep it away from drapes, sheets, towels, anything flammable really. I mean, you are playing with fire.

 

Storage

Candles can be a little temperamental when it comes to temperatures and light. If you plan on storing your candles for an extended period of time, make sure the location is cool and dry. Avoid direct sunlight and intense light. Doing this will prevent fading and unwanted changes in color. Avoid leaving your candle in your car, especially on a hot summer day. The extreme temperatures can cause changes to the wax and cause it to melt and even experience some discoloration. Extreme cold temperatures can cause issues with your candle as well. Your candle could experience separation and even cracking. In the event that you can’t avoid the extreme temperatures, allow the candle to reach room temperature again, for at least 2 hours, before relighting.

 

Let it go

We all like to get all of our money’s worth. However, this is not one of those times where you should get the very last drop. Use the general half inch candle rule. When you only have 1/2” of wax left, it’s time to reorder your favorite candle. If you try to burn out the last of the wax, you run the risks of causing damage to the container, the surface that it’s on, and yourself if you try to handle a container that is that hot without realizing it. We definitely don’t want that. So when you’re down to maybe ¾”, just go ahead and head back over to see us and place a new order. 😊