Treat your candles with the love they deserve by following a few simple safety precautions that will ensure that you get the very best each time you use them.

 

TRIM THE WICK

Before lighting always trim the wick to 6mm and remove any wick debris as this encourages an even burn.

AVOID DRAUGHTS

Candles burn best in still air but if you can’t avoid draughts, turn the candle periodically to avoid uneven burning and possible candle collapse. A candle in a draught may also start to smoke.

MAXIMUM SESSION BURN TIMES

Never burn a candle for longer than three hours at a time. If a candle is burnt for excessive periods without being allowed to re-solidify, even the best candle can burn out the sides because of excessive heat.

PUTTING CANDLES OUT

Use a candle snuffer to prevent wicks from drifting off center and to avoid wax splash. This will help to maximise the candle’s burn time. Blowing out a candle is not recommended as the liquid wax may splatter and the wick may continue to glow and emit smoke.

CANDLE DISPLAYS

When creating decorative candle displays, candles should be separated from each other by a minimum of 10cm to prevent burn problems. Candles that are burnt too close together will affect each candle’s burn quality, which may cause candles to collapse and not burn to their maximum burn times.

SETTING THE CANDLE MEMORY

To get the maximum burn times from your candles, in particular Soy candles, you need to set the candle memory. To set the candle memory, burn the candle for one hour for every 2.5cm of its diameter the first time the candle is lit. This will allow the pool of wax to extend to the outside rim and prevent the candle from forming a crater. Each time the candle is lit after setting the memory, the candle will burn out to the rim.

CANDLE HOLDERS

Choosing the correct candle for your candle holder. A helpful tip in deciding if a vessel is the right size for a candle is the 70/30 ratio (70% empty space to 30% candle) - a general rule we use is making sure at least three finger widths can fit the entire way around the candle before touching the edge. If the vessel is not an adequate size, it can cause the candle to overheat and collapse.

CANDLE STORAGE

Candles are sensitive to temperature and light. Avoid candles from fading, cracking and melting by storing your candles in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, dust and fluorescent light. Store your candles in an upright position and don’t leave your candles in your car on a warm day.

WICKS

Regularly trim your wicks. We use 100% cotton, lead free wicks. Sometimes you will notice a ‘mushrooming’ of the wick. To provide the cleanest burn possible, we recommend you remove the black ‘mushroom’ before burning and periodically during the burning. Failure to do this may lead to a “Wax Pool Fire” (in Containers and sometimes Votives) where the entire candle may appear to ignite. This is caused when a hot piece of untrimmed wick drops into the melted wax pool and ignites it. Preventing the “mushroom” effect by regularly trimming the wick and not burning any candle for longer than the maximum recommended burn time will prevent this from occurring.

WAX POOL FIRES

It is important to follow all candle care instructions. Failure to do so significantly increases the risk of a wax pool fire. If the candle wax pool becomes superheated, the candle may to spontaneously erupt into flames. In a jar candle, the glass can also shatter. Common causes of a super heated the wax pool;

A deep wax pool from burning too long or being near a secondary heat source. A deep wax pool forms more vapour and it is the vapour that burns.

Multiple ignitions, most often wick debris or accumulated dust catching fire as the candle burns down.

A draught or a breeze, that can have the combined effect of increasing oxygen supply fanning the flames and/or causing the flame to burn directly against the wax.

Ingredient degradation or separation from incorrect long-term storage which can increase the volatility.

In the event of a ‘wax pool fire’, do not panic. As long as there in nothing flammable near the candle, the fire will remain localised. The candle should not be moved or touched whilst on fire. Treat as for an oil or grease fire by starving the oxygen supply. Preferably use CO2 or powder extinguishers or a fire blanket. If these are not available a bucket of sand. If the fire is small, a packet of baking soda can be used. Do not use any other kitchen ingredients, such as flour because these are flammable. A fireproof container such as a steel pan can be placed over the burning candle if it completely seals off the air. Never throw water onto the fire, this will cause the ignited wax to spread. Never attempt to blow it out.