You’ve now got yourself one of the best candles around, so how do you care for the candle so that you get the most enjoyment from it? Follow these candle care instructions to help enjoy your candle.
Using your candle for the first time
The first time you light your candle, it’s important that you allow the wax to melt all the way to the sides of the container. Depending upon the size of the container, this could take 1-3 hours.
If you don’t give the first light enough time to melt to the sides then the candle will develop a memory and will cause “tunneling” that limit’s the life of your new candle.
Soy wax doesn’t burn as hot as paraffin wax, so the wick on a soy wax candle is thicker and doesn’t burn 100%. Regularly trim the wick before lighting the candle. The wick should be about 5-8 mm tall. This ensures a long-lasting candle, minimises soot, and removes the mushrooming of carbon from the end of the wick.
Extinguishing your candle
When the time has come to extinguish the candle, carefully dip the wick into the melted wax and straighten it. This will stop the wick smoking and will help with re-lighting the next time you want to enjoy your scented candle.
When the candle isn’t in use, keep the lid on the candle. This will help keep out the dust, dirt, and bugs. If your candle doesn’t come with a lid then use the dust cover (when included) once the wax has cooled.
The candles we make at Candle Match are hand poured, we don’t mass-manufacture our candles, and although every effort is made to ensure consistency, every candle will be a little different. The very nature of natural soy wax does mean that sometimes you may notice darker patches or “wet” spots in your container candles. This isn’t a product fault, simply a small blemish where the wax hasn’t adhered to the container 100%. Sometimes, due to temperature variations, the top of the candle may appear slightly uneven, this is also a sign of natural soy wax being hand poured.
These Candle Care tips are important for improving the quality of your candle, but please ensure you follow the safety instructions below to ensure you use your candle safely.
Safety instructions
- Burn within sight
- Discontinue burning the candle when 1 cm of unmelted wax remains
- Place your candle on a heat resistance surface (not on wood) and make sure the candle is positioned upright and stable.
- Do not burn the candle for more than 3 to 4 hours at a time.
- Keep your candles out of reach of children and pets.
- Make sure there are no flammable objects near your burning candle.
- If you want to burn more candles at the same time, make sure there is a minimum distance of 10 cm between them.
- Make sure to not leave any leftover matches or other debris in the wax.
- Avoid direct inhalation of smoke.
- Avoid splashing. Do not add water or fragrance oil to the wax and do not extinguish the candle with water.
- Blow out the candle when it’s only 0.5 cm away from the bottom. The heat development can cause the glass to burst.
- Always extinguish your candle if it is smoking, the wick is too long or the flame too high.
- Check the glass for any cracks before using it. Do not use the candle if there are any cracks.
- Keep your candle away from drafts of air. this will prevent the candle from creating smoke or soot.
- Do not place candles near a heat source like sunlight, heaters or a fire place.