A Deep Dive Into Candle Care: All The Tips

We love a good candle here at HÜIS HQ, and burn them wherever we can: the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and office (we literally cannot start the working day without lighting a candle and throwing on some tunes).

We gather you’re much like us, so have rounded up our top candle care tips to make sure your candles last you as long as possible.

LITTLE KNOWN CANDLE CARE TIPS

• To make sure your candle maintains its fragrance, keep it covered with its lid on – fragrant candles tend to have a lifespan of between 6 and 12 months.  Leaving it open to the elements could decrease this substantially;
• Did you know that adding salt to a candle slows down the rate at which the wax burns? This gives you a longer, more economical burn;
• Storing your candle in the freezer also helps to decrease the burn rate.  Who knew?

CANDLE WAXES

Paraffin, soy, coconut, beeswax – the list of candle waxes is surprisingly extensive – so what’s the difference?

• Soy wax is a great value wax that has a slow burn. It doesn’t hold as much fragrance as paraffin wax;
• Beeswax is derived from Honey-Bee hives and actually helps to purify the air. It’s quite a hard wax with a subtle, sweet aroma;
• Coconut wax is a relative newcomer and while it has a great scent throw and long burning time, it is the more expensive option;
• Paraffin wax (aka mineral wax) has an excellent scent throw, but because it’s derived from the oil industry, it tends to generate a lot of soot.

The amazing apothecary range we sell, Apotheke, offers candles made with a soy and mineral wax blend, mixed with fragrance oils for a strong, long lasting fragrance.

BEFORE BURNING

There are a few things you need to take care of prior to lighting a candle:

• When lighting for the first time, burn until the wax melts across the entire surface to the sides of the vessel (this prevents tunneling, and creates an even burn for the duration of the candle’s ‘life’).  This may take up to 2-4 hours;
• Trim the wick to 1/4” before every burn to avoid black smoke and residue;
• Remove wick debris;
• Place your candle in a spot that is stable, heat-resistant and clear of any flammable items like curtains, books, bedding, etc;
• Avoid placing your candle in the path of any drafts, vents or air currents.

DURING BURNING

• Never leave your burning candle unattended – extinguish it before leaving the room or going to sleep;
• To preserve the fragrance, do not burn your candle for more than 4-5 hours at a time;
• Avoid burning a candle all the way down: when you get to about ¼ inch of wax left in the vessel, extinguish it (you risk cracking the vessel otherwise);
• Placing a hot candle on a cold surface such as marble or glass can cause the vessel to crack;
• If soot ever forms on the inside of the vessel, extinguish candle, wait for it to cool, then wipe with a clean damp cloth. Trim wick and relight;
• Extinguish a candle if it smokes, flickers, or the flame becomes too high. These signs indicate the candle is not burning properly and the flame isn’t controlled. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, then check for drafts before re-lighting.

AFTER BURNING

• Extinguish your candle with a snuffer, or dip the wick into melted wax and then straighten.  This prevents smoking and also prevents hot wax from splattering. Do not blow out;
• Before leaving the room, make sure your candle is completely extinguished and that the wick ember is not still glowing.

We have a gorgeous range of candles – discover your new favorite scent right here.

With love,
The HÜIS Team