Things You Need To Know
CANDLE SAFETY
Here at Common Scents Candles, we love candles and the benefits they provide. However, if used improperly, they can become dangerous, so there are a few things you need to be aware of.
Here are some basic tips for safe candle-burning, so you can enjoy your candles without any risk!
A study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests that 85 percent of candle fires could be avoided if consumers followed three basic safety rules:
Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Never burn a candle on or near anything that might catch fire.
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
Basic Procedures:
Before Burning:
Trim the wick to ¼ inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping, smoking, or flaring.
If using a taper or pillar candle (or any other candle not in its own container), always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. It should be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
Burn candles in a well-ventilated room.
Place the candleholder on a stable, heat-resistant surface. This will also help prevent possible heat damage to counters and table surfaces and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.
Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, sooting, and excessive dripping.
Follow our recommendations on burn time and proper use, which will be listed below.
While Burning:
Never touch or move a burning candle. Never move a votive or container candle when the wax is fully liquefied.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a container candle when 1/2 inch of wax remains (2 inches if not in a container).
Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
Always keep the candle within your sight. If you are going to leave the room, be sure to first blow out all candles.
Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room. Don’t burn too many candles in a small room or in a “tight” home where air exchange is limited.
Never use a candle as a night light -- make sure you are present when a candle is burning.
Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater, so that the flammable fuel does not ignite.
Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
When Extinguishing:
Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled.
Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.
Basic Candle Care:
Preventing memory rings -- As with all candles, the first burn is the most important. To begin, candles should burn one hour for every 1 inch in diameter of the actual candle size. So, for a four ounce mason jar candle, for example, the suggested initial burn time is approximately three hours. This way, the full top layer of wax will be allowed to liquefy, therefore preventing any rings of unmelted wax from forming around the edges of the container. This will also give you the strongest scent throw.
Keep the wick trimmed to 1/8 inch at all times. As stated above, for safety reasons, the wick should always be trimmed to within 1/8 inch. However, this also serves a purpose in candle maintenance -- namely, to avoid the excess wick falling into the wax and clogging up the candle. 1/8 inch of wick generally equates to about four hours of burn time, after which it is suggested that you snuff the candle, trim the wick, then relight it if you so desire.
Four wick candles: For quadruple wick candles, like our four ounce mason jar candles, it is suggested that, after the initial burn, you can either light all four wicks at once, or, if you are lighting only one, light it for a maximum of an hour, before moving to another wick. This will ensure that the layer stays liquefied, and that one area of the candle and wax will not deplete before any of the others.
Proper Storage: For candles that include a cap, like our mason jar candles, cover the candle (only) when fully cooled, and store it in a cool, dry place, away from light (if possible). The essential oils in the candles are sensitive to heat and light, so for best results, try to get your storage space as dark as possible.
Expected Burning Time: In general, for every ounce of soy wax (by weight) in the candle, you can expect about five hours of burn time. However, methods of lighting, differences in individual candles, and even temperature and storage methods can all affect the burn time of a candle. If you have any questions about burn time, don't hesitate to contact us.