Candle Care is a very important part of getting the most out of your purchase. People think that it is a case of lighting a candle and walking away (best not to do that anyway!), sure you can do that, but it will
limit the usable life of your new purchase. These steps are the same no matter where you buy your candles from, all candles will suffer in terms of their usable life if not cared for properly.
The Initial Burn Of Your New Candle:
When you are ready to light your candle for the first time, we recommend setting aside 1 -2 hours for its first initial burn. This allows a layer of melted wax to form at the top of the candle. Wax can develop a “memory”, this means that the wax that didn’t melt on the previous burn is harder than the wax melted and so when you relight the candle the wax that was melted last time burns quicker meaning that the flame “tunnels” down the centre of the candle. It is important to remember to burn the candle for a maximum of 4 hours at a time.
Trimming the Wick:
Before you relight your candle, it is important to have a look at the wick, when we do this, we are looking firstly the length of the wick itself, ideally, we aim for ½” (around 13mm) protruding from the candle wax. If you notice the wick is too long, it can be trimmed down. Secondly, we also look to see if a “mushroom” is developing at the tip of the wick. This will cause a big flame when the candle is lit and will burn hotter and thus burn the wax faster, again if this is found the “mushroom” can be trimmed off.
Subsequent Burns:
Now that you have done the initial burn and checked your wick it is important to check the top of the candle wax for any debris such as dust, wick fragments or foreign objects. You also need to carry on with the minimum 1– 2 hour burns so that the issues with wax developing a memory does not happen.
Again, it is important to remember not to burn the candle for more than 4 hours maximum.
Candle Lid:
All our container candles are shipped with a lid with a silicone seal. This lid locks in the scent of the candle to make sure for a good “hot throw” when the candle is lit. We recommend that this lid is replaced after each burn (making sure the candle is cool before replacing) to lock in that scent.
It is extremely important to NOT use the lid as a means of extinguishing the flame, it is not flame retardant and is not designed for this purpose.
Candle Safety:
It is important to remember as obvious as it sounds that when the candle is lit it will be hot! The glass will also become hot as the candle burns down; we recommend placing the candle on a heat resistant surface for this reason. Make sure the candle is not lit around flammable objects such as curtains hanging over the top of the candle or objects that could blow across the top of the candle.
Keep the candle out of reach from children and pet’s when lit and unlit and keep the candle under constant observation when it is lit, always extinguish the flame when you are unable to supervise it. Make sure the candle wax, wick and container are cool before replacing the lid.