I love candles. I love the unscented beeswax and the scented blends. Container candles (jars, etc) are easier to care for. They are like a crockpot, set it and forget it…not really but easier than molded candles. A few simple rules for any candle:
*Do not burn your candle near drafts, where children or pets can knock it over, where objects around it can catch fire.
*Always burn on a safe surface.
*Keep an eye on it (or set a timer like I do, or try to!)
*Trim the wick to ¼” every time it is to be lit. This includes wood wicks! Sometimes a toe nail clipper works great when it’s down to the end.
*Make sure you are able to burn it long enough- at least an hour to create an even wax pool and even burning.
Containers usually burn to the bottom ¼ in of wax and that is it. If you want to reuse the container, you can freeze it for a few hours and gently dig the wax out with a butter knife. Wash in hot soapy water. Beeswax is harder, but doable to clean out. Soy washes up with hot soapy water or rubbing alcohol.
Molded candles take a little more care than container candles. I usually set a timer due to my excessive side-tracking ability. Thirty minutes is what I usually set the timer to start. Keep an eye on your candle. If it starts to show uneven burning of sides…(see picture below)…use a butter knife and move wick closer to the side that seems to have the thickest edge….(picture below) .reset the timer!
Start timer for another 30 minutes. When you start to see possible future “holes” in the sides, meaning wax will start running over soon, (picture below) it’s time to blow it out….GENTLY!! Let set for a 3-5 minutes to allow wax to cool….and gently push the sides in on top (picture below) trim the wick and relight if you want.
This is what happened to my candle when I left it to go help put some escape bulls back in their pen….
If you have any questions or concerns just send me an email, I will be glad to help!