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Don't Make These 10 Candle Mistakes
Nothing sets the scene like candlelight at home to provide a welcoming fragrance or to encourage relaxation. Affordable and available everywhere, scented candles are the decorative item du jour. Candles seem pretty straight forward (light the wick and leave it), however there’s a knack to getting the most out of your candle, and using it right.
Of course, the quality of ingredients in the candle you're buying is important to note — something from the dollar store won't burn the same way as a piece you snag from a specialty retailer. However, there are few mistakes to avoid that will guarantee you're getting the most out of your candle, no matter how much cash you dropped on it.
1. Not Maintaining The Wick
The most crucial step in getting your candle off to a good start? When you first light your candle, the wick needs to be trimmed per most instructions, otherwise it will burn and smoke until the flame melts the wax underneath it. And you shouldn't forget about the wick after the first time you light it, either. As the wick burns it becomes black and sooty by nature. So to avoid finding yourself in a cloud of black smoke, trim the wick every time you light.
A trimmed wick creates a calm, steady flame, which means the candle's burning process is in balance. The wick is efficiently pulling up the right amount of wax, and the flame creates complete combustion. A wick that is too long won't be able to draw wax all the way to the top, and the wick itself will start to burn, causing it to smoke.
2. Cutting The First Burn Time Short
The way your candle performs for its entire life all depends on that very first burn. After you cut the wick, you'll need to keep the flame going for at least an hour in order to make sure the wax always melts evenly without tunneling. Tunnelling can be avoided by making sure the initial burn is long enough to melt the candle all the way to the edge. This is called 'setting the memory' of the candle.
3. Keeping It Close To The Wall
You want to keep your candles away from the walls. Although candle wicks are designed to prevent high-rising flames, the heat or soot could still leave a mark.
4. Using The Same Scent In Every Room
Although scent is a personal choice, if you want to get really advanced with your candle-ing, it is recommended giving each room in your house a different aroma. Certain scents fit the boudoir better than others, and the same can be said for the entry, living area and even bathroom. Sexier, woodier candles in the bedroom and scents like tobacco, vanilla, and bourbon to cozy up a living room. If you do opt to mix it up, avoid mingling scents by lighting them at different times (remember, it only needs to be lit for an hour) or keeping the doors shut. The smell of a candle can affect the relationship you have with food or emotion. For example, burning a floral scent such as rose or lavender around food or when your entertaining can have off-putting effect on your meal. A woody or citrus scent is good for winding down.
5. Placing Candles Too Closely Together
A setup with multiple candles in a variety of size can look beautiful, yet make sure the distance between the candles is large enough to avoid irregular melting, warping and ultimately dripping.
SOLUTION: Place lit candles at least 10cm (3 inches) apart to avoid melting and warping due to heat from neighbouring candles.
6. Moving a Candle While It’s Lit
Once you put away those matches, it’s best to leave your candle in place until you blow it out. Why? Moving the candle when it's lit—or the wax is liquid—could cause spillage of the melted wax which would create further mess (or fire hazards) in your home. And if you’ve already burned a candle several times before, moving it will pose even further risks. When the wax is low in the jar, the glass will be much hotter to the touch than when the candle is new. An unexpectedly hot candle can startle people and cause them to drop the candle if they grab it while it’s lit. You’d run the risk of spilling wax on yourself or in your home—or even burning yourself with hot wax.
7. Giving Up on an Improperly Burned Candle
You have a couple of options to bring a slightly tunneled candle back to life. You can use a hair dryer on low to even out the wax surface or pop the candle in an oven at 175 degrees for about 5 minutes. These two actions will melt the wax, so that it’s smooth and level across the top again. Scoop out any wax that flows over the wick.
8. Blowing Out Your Candles
When you blow out a flame, it actually creates and spreads those little annoying black ash particles that get stuck in the wax. You don’t have to buy a snuffer though. Just get a candle with a lid, and it’ll smother the flame in the same way. Plus, a top keeps dust and dirt out. Best to let the candle cool completely before touching or moving it as well.
9. Tossing The Lid
If you're buying a candle that comes with a lid, use it to cover your candle when it's not being used. This way, you protect it from dust and you preserve the wax and its scent nicely. When you are burning the candle, the lid can also be used as a little elevation for you to place the candle on top, protecting the surface of your tabletop and adding a little finishing touch to the decor.
10. Not Reusing Your Vessels
They are designed to be upcycled, and that’s the case with many other manufacturers as well. Ceramic, metal, and glass are food-and drink-safe, but concrete is better as, say, a planter, a makeup brush holder, or a pencil cup.
As you can see from the above, most common issues can be easily fixed and even avoided, and if they cannot then it's usually a symptom of a poor quality candle (low quality wick, wax or make) rather than incorrectly using the candle. Now that your candle woes are properly sorted, don't be surprised if your friends start begging you to come over and relax more often.
by Celine Battendier
Don't Make These 10 Mistakes palmbeachfn.com.au July 2021 First National Palm Beach Ph: 07 5559 9600 