Getting
The Most From Your Candles
by
Sharon Jacobsen
I
love burning candles. I have them all around the house.
Long ones, short ones, fat ones and thin ones, if all
different colors, and in lots of different holders. I
burn them in the evening when I'm relaxing, I burn them
at mealtimes, and I burn them in the bathroom. Any
excuse to light a candle really!
But
candles don't always fit the holder, and sometimes they
burn down too far and the wax gets stuck! It's at those
times that candles aren't quite as much fun! Here are
some candle burning tips I've picked up through the
years:
-
Cold
candles will burn slower. Pop candles into the
fridge for an hour before lighting them, but wrap
them in foil or cling-film first to prevent the
wicks from absorbing moisture.
-
When
burning pillar candles, let them burn long enough
each time to create a pool of wax that almost covers
the diameter of the candle. This will ensure that
the candle burns evenly each time you light it. If
it doesn't create a large enough pool you'll end up
with a tunnel through the candle and eventually it
will either melt through one side, or you'll no
longer be able to light it.
-
Never
stand a lit candle in a draught. Draughts create a
larger flame and uneven burning. - Never expose
candles to sunlight or indoor spotlights. They will
fade the color, and if left for too long, the
candles will bend.
-
If
your candle is too slim to fit snugly into the
holder, wrap cooking foil or tissue paper around the
bottom of the candle to make the base thicker. Don't
worry, the tissue paper won't burn even if you do
allow the candle to burn right down into the holder,
as the melted wax will soak the paper. But it's
never a good idea to allow candles to burn right
down; they should be extinguished when they're about
2 inches over the holder.
-
If
you have allowed the candle to burn right down and
the wax is stuck in the holder, put the holder into
the freezer for a couple of hours and the wax should
be easier to dig out.
-
If
you like votive candles, try to buy the type that
have metal cases as these are easy to remove from
holders after use. If you only have the uncovered
type, pour some water into the holder before
lighting the candle. When it's extinguished and the
wax has hardened, it should be easier to pop it out
of the container.
-
Spilled
wax should be allowed to solidify. One hard, cover
the area with brown paper and gently press with a
warm iron. The wax will be absorbed into the paper.
-
Extinguish
candles by pushing the wick into the liquid wax
(don't use your fingers!). Leave for about a minute,
then re-center the wick. Using this technique both
eliminates smoking from the extinguished wick and
covers the wick with a layer of wax making
re-lighting easier.
Sharon
Jacobsen is editor of WeWomen.co.uk (http://www.wewomen.co.uk),
a portal and community for women in the UK, offering a
web directory, articles, ecards, discussion, jokes,
poetry, and lots more. Contact Sharon on sharon@wewomen.co.uk.
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