Candle Care

Candles are magical in the way they can transform a room simply through smell. However, just like anything they require proper care in order to work best. Below we've outlined best practices for Care.

When you first get your candle

Our candles come clipped and ready to light. It's important when you light your candle to let it burn for at least 2 hours in order for the wax to melt to the edges. This is known as getting a full melt pool and prevents problems like tunneling.

Be mindful of where you place your candle. Heat travels upward and can burn or discolor objects above.

In between lightings

After the initial burn it's important to clip your wicks. If you've ever wondered why candle jars get covered in soot it's usually because the wick wasn't clipped before lighting. As a wick burns the end of the wick "mushrooms" due to build up of soot and other elements. Lighting the wick without properly clipping can create a large flame that will throw off soot covering the inside of your candle and any nearby objects or walls.

Burning candles safely

Never leave a lit candle unattended and don't burn it for more than 4 hours at a time. When a candle is reaching the end of it's life (when 1/4" of wax is left) it's best to not light it anymore. A live flame without any wax can cause the jar to explode and shatter from the heat.

What to do with finished candles

When a candle is finished there are two ways to clean the jar. You can either pop it into a toaster oven to melt the remaining wax or place it into the freezer to get the wax to contract. If you melt the wax you can simply pour the wax into a napkin and throw away the solidified wax in the trash. If you place it into the freezer when the wax detaches from the wall you can take a butter knife and lightly tap the wax to break it into smaller pieces that you can then throw in the trash. 

Once your jar is empty of wax and wick, then you can wipe it down with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol. This is important! Soap and water will not remove the residual wax and could potentially contaminate your sink. When the inside of the jar is wiped down you can wet the outside label and rub it off.

Now that you have a clean jar you can either upcycle it (we like to use them for holding tea leaves) or recycle it.