Caring for your Candles

How to properly burn our beeswax Pillars

Before you light your Pillar candle make sure to trim the wick to approximately ¼” long. All pillars must be burned on a flame and heat resistant surface. If you want a full burn, let your candle burn for a minimum of 3 - 4 hours each time you light it. As the pillar continues to burn down you can push or fold the outside edges into the center wax puddle and then straighten them being careful not to burn yourself. Instead of just blowing out the candle you should submerge the wick into the wax puddle and straighten it back up after it is extinguished.

 

How to properly burn our beeswax Tealights

Tealights are best burned in the cups that they come in. They are designed to fit perfectly within them and as they slowly burn down in the container the wax will fully liquify. Wicks of the tealights do not need to be trimmed and should only really be lit once if you want an optimal burning experience. If you blow out your tealight when it is very low on wax; then you may have problems with relighting it. Tea lights also contain a metal wick tab which holds up the wick and keeps it in place all the while dispersing the heat of the flame throughout so that you get a much safer burn.

 

How to properly burn our beeswax Votives

Votives should be placed in a votive cup due to the fact that the candle is made to liquify entirely. Typically, you should not have to trim a votives wick with the exception of you noticing a flickering of the flame accompanied by smoke. Votives also contain a metal wick tab which holds up the wick and keeps it in place all the while dispersing the heat of the flame throughout so that you get a much safer burn. If you would like to have an easier removal of the wick tab from the holder when the candle is burned all the way down, you can place a few drops of water in the bottom of the holder or a tad bit of sand. You can also place the holder in the freezer for much easier wax removal.

 

How to properly burn our beeswax candlesticks

For a safe and great burn these candles must fit very snuggly into a secure and level holder. Typically, the candles wicks do not need trimming, but if you feel like they do you can trim them to about ½”. Candles with wicks that are cut too short will usually experience dripping this is due to the fact that the flame is not large enough to burn up the wax already melted before more is melted. If you see a cap of carbon forming on the candle wick, extinguish it, trim it to size and then you can relight it. Since our candles are made from 100% beeswax they should be virtually dripless, but if you see it begin to drip look for a draft within the room such as a fan or window.

 

How to properly burn an Ornamental beeswax candle

Ornamentals should always be placed on a fire and heat resistant surface. Since every ornamental candle we make is uniquely designed with different curves and shapes we recommend extra care and precaution. If a piece of the candle falls off while burning you can easily put that same peace back into the candle to continue burning without waste. If the candle looks as though it is going to drip over the side you can extinguish the flame and then relight it at a later time if you so wish.

 

Wick trimming for Beeswax Candles

Every candle is different but some candles need to be trimmed pretty regularly. If you notice a flame flickering, a large flame or smoke coming from your candle, extinguish the flame by pushing the wick into the wax puddle and then relighting. That goes for seeing a carbon buildup on the wick which resembles what looks to be a mushroom top, simply extinguish, trim and relight. If your candle is burned within a container such as a jar or votive holder, the flame may end up getting to large for the supply of oxygen. This in turn will cause a flickering and possibly even sooting due to the incomplete combustion of the fuel source (beeswax).

 

Keep your candles clean

If debris like matches or pieces of trimmed wick get into your candle and you don’t remove them promptly they could act as a secondary wick. With an extra wick that is not centered the possibility of an overflow is extremely likely due to the extra heat being generated. If it spills out of the container you could end up with a huge mess, but don’t worry we know a few tricks on how to remove it from materials it gets on, keep reading to find out.

 

How to get beeswax out of fabric, clothing and candle holders

If you happen to have an issue with wax getting on your clothes, a piece of fabric or simply out of a holder you can take the item and put it into the freezer, once it hardens you can scrape the wax right off. Alternatively, you can take a piece of napkin or paper towel and press a warm iron over the spilled wax a couple of times until the beeswax is soaked up.

 

About candle containers

Different materials can affect the burning of a candle, certain types of candle holders such as very thick glass ones can cause the heat to be drawn away from the candle and in turn cause incomplete burning with some residual wax leftover. Hurricane candle holders typically used for pillars are not recommended for beeswax candles. The reason behind this is due to the fact that the height of the glass traps the heat inside and reduces the amount of oxygen that can reach the flame. With the heat being trapped the candle may melt and spill over the sides. Another likelihood is that your candle may begin to smoke up the glass due to the wick and all of the other variables present within the container. To avoid these problems always burn your candle in a proper holder and try to avoid the containers listed above.