(Pssst… please read this page.  It’ll take 2 minutes tops and it’s important.  I’ve popped pictures in to make it more fun 🙂 )

Candles aren’t an art  – they’re a science.

Not burning candles once you’ve bought them is a sacrilege, and certainly if you hoard our candles you won’t get the best out of them.  Candles need to be used, but just lighting one isn’t enough.  Lots of people don’t know how to get the best out of their candles so we’ve made a list and added some helpful tips.

 

Safety Instructions

Don’t leave candles burning longer than 4 hours at a time or where you can’t see them.  Make sure they’re on a stable flat and fire resistant/heat proof surface.  Neither should you leave candles where they can be reached by children or pets.  Keep them away from drafts and anything flammable.  Leave half an inch of wax in container candles before disposing of thoughtfully.  Keep wicks trimmed to around 5mm and don’t let any foreign materials, such as pieces of wick, fall into the wax.  Do not get wet.  Do not eat.

 

General Instructions

* ALWAYS follow the candle safety instructions.

* Store candles at room temperature in dry places, out of the cold or direct sunlight, and away from extremes of heat.

* Burning candles for too long can cause wick damage, the wick to turn back on itself into the wax pool and is generally unsafe.

* Avoid burning container candles down to the very bottom.  This can cause scorching.  Leave the last half an inch of wax.

* Always light both wicks in our two wick candles.

* Fragrance is carried from the melted wax, not the flame.  If you don’t burn candles long enough to create a full wax pool they won’t burn properly.  Candles have memories.  Once a candle has started down a bad burn route, it will continue.

* As a general rule of thumb, for each inch across a candle, divide by the number of wicks and that’s the number of hours you should burn a candle for to get a full wax pool.

* Keep your wicks trimmed to around 5mm.  The majority of the soot comes from not keeping wicks trimmed!

* Don’t let the flames get too high.  This can cause too much heat and your candle will burn down much faster.  Tall flames can also be a hazard, stress containers and cause glass to shatter.

* If your candle is not burning properly, if it flickers or smokes, extinguish it, let it cool and then trim wicks before re-lighting.

* Take good care of glass.  Be aware that tiny imperfections will occur in used glassware and this can cause shattering.

* Place all burning candles at least 4 inches apart.

* Soot is inevitable as it comes from burning the wick.  We use high quality cotton wicks, but there will still be soot.  Black marks on containers can be wiped off with a paper towel and not placing candles close to walls helps prevent soot marks on your paintwork.

* It is normal for a pure soy wax candle to release a little fragrance oil if exposed to large changes in temperature.  Wipe off any excess oil with a tissue, wash hands and burn as usual.  It won’t happen again after the first burn.