4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong (2024)

Article: 4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong

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4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong (1)

There's nothing quite as enchanting as the flickering glow of a candle, casting its gentle light and filling the air with soothing scents. Candles have captivated the human senses for centuries, adding warmth, ambiance, and a touch of magic to our homes. Whether you light them to create a cozy atmosphere, set the mood for relaxation, or simply enjoy their aesthetic appeal, candles hold the power to transform any space.

However, despite their simplicity, there are a surprising number of ways to mishandle our beloved candles. From small mistakes like burning candles incorrectly to major issues like neglecting essential safety precautions, many people accidentally diminish their beauty, longevity, and even compromise their performance. But don’t worry! We’re here to shed light on four common candle-burning mistakes and teach you how to burn a candle properly.

1. Youfall asleep with your candle burning.For a full 10 hours.


What you're doing wrong:
First of all, never leave a candle burning unattended! But just because you’re home all day doesn’t mean you should be burning candles from morning till night. If you burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time, carbon will collect on the wick, and your wick will begin to "mushroom." This can cause the wick to become unstable, the flame to get too large, your candle to smoke, and soot to be released into the air and around your candle container.

Solution: Don't burn for more than 4 hours at a time (or unattended)!

4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong (2)

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2. Youget a new candle on your way home from work. Yippee! You lightyour candle for 30 minutes before you go to bed. Then you blow it out.

What you're doing wrong:
If you leave a candle burning for too little time, especially the first time, you will get that annoying candle tunneling effect when you have accumulated this leftover wax on the sides of the container (read: you end up wasting your candle).


Solution: So how long should you burn a candle the first time you use it? Particularly for their first burn, candles are supposed to burn for at least one hour per inch of container diameter. So, if you bought a new candle that is 3 inches in diameter, you should burn your candle for at least 3 hours (though not more than 4 at a time). Wax has a memory, so you want to burn your candle so the melted wax spreads all the way out to the edge of your container. That way, when you burn your candle the next time, it will remember to melt all the way out to the sides.


*Note: Sometimes, especially with cheap candles, the wrong wick is used in the candle, you may not be able to burn the candle until it creates a full melt pool even if you do burn it long enough. This is the fault of the candlemaker for not testing the correct wick, not you. If your wick eventually drowns in wax, you can carve out the wax above the wick and pour some of the wax into the trash so the flame can create a bigger melt pool.

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3. Youdon't trimyour wicks.

What you're doing wrong:
Do your candles have a big black ring around the sides of the candles, and do they smoke when you light them? If this is the case, you probably have been lighting your candles for way too long and not trimming the wick. What happens when you light a candle for too long is you've let your wick "mushroom" or develop carbon buildup. This is the result of the candle consuming more wax than it can burn. Lighting a "mushroom" cancause a longerwick to crackle and pop and release soot into the air and onto your candle container.Always remember to trim wicks, it keeps you (and your home) safe!

Solution: Lighting a candle correctly should always include taking a moment to trim your wicks to 1/4 inch. And remember, never burn for more than 4 hours. Otherwise, carbon will start to accumulate again. Try buying awick trimmerto do the job right!

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4.You blow your candles out to extinguish them.

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What you're doing wrong:
This one seems a little crazy, huh? How else are you supposed to extinguish a flame? Here's the thing—blowing out candles can cause wax to spray onto your face and smoke to fill the room, which can be harmful to your health. Not to mention, doing so can also bury the wick in the wax making it hard for you to light your candle the next time.

Solution: Use the tip of a screwdriver to dip the wick in the wax to extinguish. Then use it to straighten the wick out for the next burn. Or use a snuffer.

4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong (3)

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By implementing these essential candle burning tips, you can elevate your candlelit experiences, take better care of your health, and extend the lifespan of your favorite candles. However, it’s important to always buy high-quality candles for the best experience. Shop our collection of luxury candles for unique fragrances and stunning designs. So go ahead, indulge in your favorite scent and enjoy the warm glow of burning candles today!

How to Store Your Candles

Knowing how to store a candle is just as important as knowing how to burn a candle correctly. Many people aren’t aware of how sensitive candles can be to temperature variations when in storage. They may store candles together or expose them to direct sunlight or heat, only to return and find them melted or stuck together.

Additionally, prolonged exposure to the sun can cause the appearance and fragrance of your candle to fade or discolor. That’s why it’s always best to store candles in a dark, cool place and to keep them in their original packaging when not in use. This will prevent warping and preserve the product, ensuring the maximum burn time and extending the lifespan of your candle.

Quick Candle Safety Tips

Experience luxury and sophistication with peace of mind. Here are some extra candle burning tips you may find to be helpful:

Keep Candles Away from Highly-Flammable Materials
Silk, cotton, linen, and rayon are a few of the most flammable fabrics. It’s extremely important to keep candles away from drapes, clothing items, blankets, and other similar items to avoid a home fire. It’s also best to place candles on a flat surface, such as a table or countertop, away from children, pets, or swinging doors that could knock them over. Carpets and rugs are often made from flammable materials and have a high fire risk.

Keep Candles in Sight
If you light a candle in the living room and then decide to take a bath, carry your candle with you to the bathroom or put it out using a candle snuffer. Burning candles should always be within eyesight. Pets or children can knock them over or a strong breeze from an open window could blow your drapes into the flame. When it comes to safe candle burning, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. And why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the warm glow and soothing fragrance of keeping your candle nearby?

Use Proper Candle Holders
Candles should always be placed in a large fireproof holder while burning to catch any wax drippings that may fall. Our luxury candles come in elegant glass holders with beautiful designs, but traditional taper and novelty candles may not. These types of candles introduce fire risk, as well as damage to your belongings from dripping wax. Fortunately, there are plenty of empty candle holder options available online. Or you can reuse our beautiful glass jars after your candle has burned completely!

Want more tips? Check out our super quick guide to candle safety!

Written by Tamara Mayne

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4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong (2024)

FAQs

4 Ways You're Burning Candles All Wrong? ›

During burning, the wax melts. Here, the wax has changed from solid to liquid. This is a physical change. The wax near wick of the candle burns and gives new substances like carbon dioxide, carbon soot, water vapour, heat and light.

In what ways does a candle change during burning answer? ›

During burning, the wax melts. Here, the wax has changed from solid to liquid. This is a physical change. The wax near wick of the candle burns and gives new substances like carbon dioxide, carbon soot, water vapour, heat and light.

What are four things a burning candle produces? ›

The heat of the flame vaporizes the liquid wax (turns it into a hot gas), and starts to break down the hydrocarbons into molecules of hydrogen and carbon. These vaporized molecules are drawn up into the flame, where they react with oxygen from the air to create heat, light, water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).

What is the conclusion of the burning candle experiment? ›

The physical aspect: the candle heats the air and expands it. This cancels the depletion of the oxygen temporarily and the water level stays down. When the oxygen is depleted, the candle goes out and the air cools. The volume of the air decreases and the water rises.

What are the main energy changes when a candle is burning? ›

Burning of a candle produces heat and light, it requires a chemical reaction to burn a candle. So, there is a transformation of the energy from chemical energy to heat and light energy.

What kind of changes take place when a candle is lit and burns explain your answer? ›

Physical change - The melting wax when a candle burn is a physical change that occurs in the process. The wax again solidifies on cooling. It is a reversible process. Chemical change - The wax near the wick of the candle vapourises and undergoes a chemical change.

What is the meaning of 🕯? ›

The candle emoji 🕯️ has a variety of meanings, but it is generally used to symbolize light, warmth, and spirituality. It can be used to represent birthdays, celebrations, romance, serenity, remembrance, mourning, hope, and guidance.

What is burning of candle an example of answer? ›

The correct answer is Exothermic Reaction.

An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of light or heat. The burning of the candle is an exothermic reaction. Endothermic reactions - Heat is absorbed, like the Photosynthesis process.

What allows a candle to burn? ›

It needs oxygen. If you could look down into the flame, you'd see that oxygen molecules from the air interact with wax molecules and have a chemical reaction. And the products of the reaction, that means the stuff that's produced, is water vapor, carbon dioxide gas, and heat, and light.

Does salt make candles burn longer? ›

After you've burned a candle long enough for a small pool of wax to form around the wick, sprinkle table salt into the wax. Use a toothpick to distribute it evenly. The sodium chloride compounds will slow the melting and dripping processes, so your candle will burn longer than before.

What color is a candle flame? ›

It all depends on how much oxygen is around. Lots of oxygen makes blue flames, while limited oxygen produces yellow flames. The amount of oxygen that is available for candlelight is still not sufficient to give complete combustion, i.e. for all the wax to become water vapour and carbon dioxide.

Why does water rise in a jar with a candle? ›

The explanation goes like this: The candle heats the air and the air expands. Some of this expanding air escapes the container and leaves through the water (probably making bubbles). After the fire goes out, the air cools and the volume decreases causing the water to rise in the container.

What is the aim of the burning candle experiment? ›

Introduction
Goal:To understand how temperature affects pressure
Age:Middle school and up
Safety Concern:This experiment uses matches and an open flame, a candle. Exercise caution when using flames in an experiment or get an adult to help you.
Time:30 minutes

What happens to candle when it burns? ›

When a candle burns, the hydrogen and carbon from the wax combine with the oxygen in the air to become carbon dioxide and water vapor.

What is the chemical change in a candle burning? ›

The burning of a candle is a chemical change in which wax and oxygen are transformed into carbon dioxide, water vapour, and other compounds formed by incomplete combustion. The wax undergoes a physical change in this process—it melts and is drawn up the wick.

Which of the following changes occur during the burning of a candle? ›

Upon heating, the wax first undergoes the process of melting followed by burning. Here, melting is a physical change as the melted wax can again be obtained as solid wax upon the removal of heat, whereas, burning is a chemical change, as once the wax has been burnt, it cannot be obtained back in its original form.

Which of the changes are chemical changes a candle is burned? ›

Answer and Explanation:

The wick absorbs the melted wax and the flame vaporizes the liquefied wax, giving off heat and light in the process. The change is, therefore, chemical in nature. A change in color is, generally speaking, evidence of a chemical change.

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