If you know either of us, it is no secret that we both LOVE candles. It doesn't matter what time of year it is, candles always add lovely atmosphere and elegance to any room. We thought we'd share some tips with you to help you maximize your candle-burning experience.
1. Always purchase candles made with a high-quality wax blend and 100% lead-free wicks. Some candle enthusiasts may swear by one wax blend over another, but in our experience any high-quality blend will give you a nice consistant burn. Wicks can be cotton, a blend, or even wood, but just make sure they are lead free. (Most are these days, but surprisingly lead is still present in some low-end brand candles.)
2. If you do not burn your candles right away they may collect dust which sticks to the wax. The secret to making your dusty candles look clean and new again is panty-hose! Take some of your old hose, place your hand inside and rub the candle. The dust comes off and stick to the panty hose leaving your candle like new.
3. Taper candles are beautiful and elegant on a dinner table but burn very fast. To add a little extra burn time, place your tapers in the freezer a few hours before your dinner, then take them out right before you are ready to use them.
4. Always trim your wicks before lighting your candles. If you have a brand new candle, trim the wick to about 1/4" long. Trim the wick of burned candles to a quarter inch as well being sure to get the entire ashy "mushroom bloom" off. Make sure no wick or ash debris falls into the wax. Specialized scissors called wick trimmers are available for this purpose. They are curved to fit down into your candle, clip the wick, and then house the wick in a little compartment that you can then empty into the garbage. This is a very practical item for candle enthusiasts.
5. Did you know that candles have a memory? This is important to know about pillar candles or poured candles in glass. When you initially burn a candle and the wax melts in a circle, the next time you light the candle it will melt out to the same point, then burn down. When burning candles in glass you always want to burn it long enough on its initial burn so that the wax melts all the way out to the perimeter. This will insure that you will waste as little of the wax as possible, maximizing the life of the candle. For pillar candles, you usually want a wax wall left around the perimeter so let the initial burn melt out leaving about a 1/4" - 1/2" wall then extinguish the candle. The next time you light the pillar, the candle should "remember" this and melt down leaving the lovely glow of the flame through the wax wall. Another little secret: If you have a unique or expensive sculpted candle that you do not have the heart to "burn up", remember this memory secret. Light your precious pillar and let it melt out about a 1 1/2" - 2" diameter. The next few times you light it let it burn down until about a 2" deep "well" is formed in your pillar. Now you can drop in a tea-light or votive to burn and your precious candle will last forever!
6. Keep lit candles out of drafts. This sounds so obvious, but drafts are your candle's enemy. They cause the flame to go to one side or another making the candle burn unevenly.
7. Extinguishing your candles: We all blow out candles because it is what we automatically know to do, but it is not the best thing for your candle or your surroundings. Blowing out a candle often spreads smoke and debris to land on your walls or other surrounding surfaces. Also, it rarely completely extinguishes the wick leaving it to smoulder and smoke a bit longer. Instead, use a snuffer for tapers or dinner candles. Just cover the flame with the bell of the snuffer and hold for a few seconds. This will completely smother the flame and wil not spread smoke or debris. For pillars or poured candles in glass, use a wick dipper. This is a little metal device that kind of looks like a crochet hook. Take the dipper and push the lit wick down into the melted wax which will extinguish the flame and eliminate all smoke. Then take the hook and pull the wick straight up again. The wick is now extinguished and coated in wax which will make it quick and easy to light the next time.
Happy burning!
-The Panther
