A good
candle is a pure pleasure, its rich, peaceful, living light warming
and illuminating our special moments.
But when good candles go bad, they can
ruin a rug, devastate a dinette, or burn down your home.
We
take pride in
making our pure beeswax candles to burn without dripping, smoking or
tunnelling (leaving thick walls), and they burn best with a
little care and attention. (Be sure to also read
Choosing the right
candle.)
Safety:
-
Always burn candles in an appropriate, fire- and
heat-proof holder, out of drafts and the reach of children and pets
and anything that could catch fire, and never leave a burning candle unattended.
Keep a fire extinguisher.
General:
-
Wicks should normally bend and be
"self-trimming", and they should never need to be cut once lit.
After a wick has been burned, extinguished and is cold, it is very
fragile and should not be touched.
-
That said, if
a candle begins to smoke, or the flame becomes very large, extinguish,
check wick length and trim to 1/2-inch while the wick is still warm
and flexible
-
If a candle begins to drip, extinguish and re-light
when cooled.
-
Candles burned in a strong draft may
burn unevenly and drip.
Tapers:
-
should be firmly stuck in an appropriate
holder so they do not tip over. If too small in diameter for a
holder, wrap some honeycomb around the base.
-
should burn free-standing
(not within 2" of any container such as a hurricane
-
may
be burned for any length of time at each lighting.
-
extinguish with a snuffer.
Votives:
-
are designed to liquefy while burning and must therefore be burned in a proper votive container.
The best is a simple, tight-fitting, tempered glass container, the
inside of which is the same size and shape as the votive candle.
-
perform best if allowed to burn completely
in one lighting, but...
-
should burn at least long enough so the wax surface melts out to the side of
the container. Since the wick may bend to one side the wax may melt
unevenly, but in the proper container the candle will, in time,
completely melt the wax and clean the sides of the glass.
-
once the candle has only 1/2" or less of wax remaining, let it burn
out completely. i.e. do not extinguish with less than 1/2" of
wax remaining, as it may not then be able to melt and burn all the wax
and you will need to clean the container.
-
only
the burn-control metal tab should remain after burning. Pop it
out and drop the next candle in.
-
the container will get very hot while
burning and should be on or in a heat-resistant holder.
Tea
Lights:
-
should be burned in the cup that they come in
-
otherwise, same as votives, except that
tea lights should really be burned continuously to burn well.
Pillars:
-
solid cast, solid rolled and rolled
honeycomb pillars, with burn control metal tabbed wick, may be burned
free-standing (on a surface) or in a tight-fitting container (like a votive)
-
if
burned free-standing, they should be allowed to
burn until the melted wax pool almost reaches the edge or to the
maximum that it is able to melt at each
lighting - not just the first time. If burned longer, they may
sometimes drip (though they should not, and the generally burn better
if burned longer);
if shorter, they will certainly tunnel, leaving thick walls
-
if it appears the wax pool is not
centered due to wick
curl and dripping is imminent, use a non-flammable implement to
push the wick a little towards the thick side; also, a pillar's wax
pool will be pushed "down wind" by a draft and this may be remedied by
periodically turning the candle 180° to even out the effect.
-
if a pillar does drip, it should be extinguished and
allowed to cool before re-lighting, and if a channel has formed in the
side, it should be plugged with some wax
-
if a small, thin wall develops during each burn, push
in from all sides towards the center just after extinguishing.
-
if a thick wall develops due to not burning long enough
over several burns, the candle will have difficulty burning and may
eventually drown itself. Never pour off wax to expose more wick. Instead, cut
the wall down to the level of the wax pool inside and resume proper
burning times.
-
Extinguish pillars by pushing wick into wax pool, then pulling
it
straight. Never pour wax out of the candle, and never touch the wick
when it is cold as it may break.
-
a carbon cap may form on the head of the
wick. This is good, as it disperses heat and helps melt more
wax.
-
Also, beeswax, although filtered, may
contain some natural debris from the beehive and you may see some dark
material around the wick as the candle is burning. This is
normal.
Leftover wax?
Use
leftover beeswax for furniture polish (mix with turpentine), batik,
driving nails, to wax sewing threads, or to make new candles. You may
also be able to return it to a candle maker (to our store, for
instance) for credit. Beeswax is precious.
Bloom?
"Bloom"
is the natural frosting that appears over time and only on beeswax.
It's a good indicator of whether a candle is, in fact, made of
beeswax. To remove, wipe
candles with expired nylon stockings or by hand - it's good for the
skin. |
Alternate:
The right candle?
Different types of candles (pillars, tapers, votives, tea lights,
etc.) are designed for different purposes, and it's worth considering
your uses, needs and habits before purchasing. Beeswax candles melt
more slowly than paraffin (great for summer) and need to burn longer
to burn well.
A good candle is a pure pleasure, its rich, peaceful, living light
warming and illuminating our special moments. But when good candles go
bad, they can ruin a rug, devastate a dinette, or burn down your home.
We take pride in making pure beeswax candles that burn without
dripping, smoking or
tunneling, and they burn best with
a little know-how, care and attention. If you approach burning a
candle as a ritual, all this can seem less like work.
Safety: Remove packaging and labels before lighting any candle. Burn
all candles in appropriate, fire- and heat-proof holders, out of
drafts and the reach of children and pets and anything that could
catch fire. Please never leave a burning candle unattended. Keep a
fire extinguisher close and smoke detectors working. Flame, wax,
holders and containers can cause serious burns if touched.
The Happy Healthy Candle Rule:
Every time a candle is lit it should be allowed to burn long enough
that the wax pool melts to the edge - or as far out as it is able.
Burning tips (for all candles):
- Always light from the base of the wick, where wick and wax meet, so
that the wax absorbs into the wick.
- Wicks normally bend and are "self-trimming", and they should never
need to be cut once lit. After a wick has been burned, extinguished
and is cold, it is very fragile and should be touched carefully lest
it break.
- That said, if a candle begins to smoke or the flame becomes too
large, extinguish, check wick length and trim to 3/8" while the wick
is still warm and flexible.
- If a candle begins to drip, speak to it politely and extinguish with
care; block any channels and re-light when the wax has cooled.
- Candles burned in a strong draft will burn unevenly and most likely
drip.
Tapers:
- Should be firmly stuck into an appropriate holder so they cannot tip
over. If too small in diameter, wrap some honeycomb around the base.
If too large, cut or mold to fit.
- Should burn free-standing (not within 3 inches of any container such
as a hurricane or any other object).
- May be burned for any length of time at each lighting.
- Trim wick to 3/8" before first lighting. - Embedded decorations such
as pearls may cause dripping if left in the wax pool and should be
removed.
- Extinguish tapers with a snuff.
Votives (and all container candles):
- Must be burned in a container.
- Are designed to liquefy past their edge and will fill with wax
whatever space they are given. To burn all the wax, the best container
is a simple, tight-fitting, tempered glass, the inside of which is the
same size and shape as the candle.
- Perform best if allowed to burn
completely in one lighting but...
- Should burn at least long enough each time lit so the wax surface
melts flat to the edge of the container. Since the wick may bend to
one side, the wax may melt unevenly, but in the proper container the
candle will, in time, liquefy to the edge.
- Do not extinguish with less than 1/2" of wax remaining, as it may
not then be able to re-light, melt and burn all the wax, and you will
need to clean the container; only the burn-control tab should remain
after burning. Pop it out and drop the next candle in.
- Hot containers can burn you badly.
Tea Lights:
- Should be burned in the cup that they come in - which can then be
put in a decorative holder.
- Burn the same as votives, except that tea lights should really be
burned fully in one lighting to burn well.
Pillars:
- Solid cast, solid rolled and rolled honeycomb pillars, with burn
control metal-tabbed wicks, may be burned free-standing (on a plate
holder) or in a tight-fitting container (like a votive - follow votive
directions).
- Free-standing, they should always, at each lighting, be allowed to
burn until the melted wax pool almost reaches the edge or to the
maximum that it is able to melt. If burned longer, they generally burn
better, but should be monitored for dripping due to drafts, wick curl
and other factors; if burned shorter, they will certainly tunnel,
leaving thick walls.
- Ideally, the outer wall of wax should melt and not get more than 1
inch above the wax pool, and the flame should be visible from the
side.
- If a very thin wall remains and you like that, it’s alright so long
as the candle is burning well.
- The wall may be pushed down if it becomes too tall or, as a matter
of maintenance, after every burn. The wall will be thin, soft,
malleable, and easy to push in after a proper burn. Be careful to not
drown the wick.
- If the wick is drowned or broken, it must be dug out and the wall
cut down so that 3/8” of wick is exposed.
- If a thick wall develops due to not burning long enough over several
burns, the candle will have difficulty burning, the flame will become
small, and the wick may eventually drown. Never pour off wax to expose
more wick. Instead, while still warm (but not burning) cut the wall
down to the level of the wax pool inside and resume proper burning
times.
- If it appears the wall is thin on one side, the wax pool is not
centered, and dripping is imminent, use a non-flammable implement to
push the wick a little towards the thick side; also, the wax pool will
be pushed "down wind" by a draft and this may be remedied by
periodically turning the candle 180° to average the effect.
- If a pillar does drip, it should be given the benefit of the doubt,
extinguished with respect, and allowed to cool before re-lighting; if
a channel has formed in the side, it should be plugged with some wax;
if a hole has formed and wax is dripping out, the walls have become
too tall, probably because of too-short burn times. Cut the wall and
resume proper burns.
- A carbon cap may form on the head of the wick. This is OK as it
disperses heat and helps melt more wax.
- Although filtered, beeswax contains natural debris from the beehive
and you may see dark material around the wick as the candle burns
down.
- Extinguish pillars by pushing wick into wax pool then pulling it
straight.
Leftover wax? Beeswax is precious, so please don't throw it away. Use
leftover beeswax for furniture polish (mix with turpentine), batik,
driving nails, to wax sewing threads, or, of course, to make new
candles. Find recipes, clean-up tips and more good ideas in our online
learning center.
Bloom? "Bloom" is the natural white frosting that appears over time on
the surface of beeswax. It's a good indicator of whether a candle is,
in fact, made of beeswax. To remove, which is not necessary, wipe
candles with a cloth, expired nylon stockings or by hand - it's good
for the skin.
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