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The Art of Burning Candles
 When you first start living with candles on a
day-to-day basis, you probably don't expect
you'll be doing much more than just striking a
match, then sitting back to enjoy the
candlelight. Well, there is a bit more to
burning candles. For a few of us it's a
science; for most all of us, it's definitely
an art—indeed, a lost art.
The good news is that the benefits of
incorporating candlelight in your daily life
far outweigh the few easy things you need to
do to take care of them. And, there's really
not so much "to do" as there is to be aware
of— only a very few things you really have to
do (see "Burn your candles
mindfully" below).
The greater your awareness of living with and
caring for your candles, the better they'll
perform, and the richer your experience.
Discover the secrets for living by
candlelight.
Some of these tips and tricks you may already
know. Some you may not. They're all very, very
useful:
- Burn your pillar candle one hour for
every inch of its diameter the first time
you light it. This will allow the pool of
wax to extend to the outside rim and prevent
your candle from forming a "canyon" in its
center.
Burning your candle this way will also set
its memory. Each time you re-light the
candle it will "remember" to burn out to the
rim.
- Trim the wick of any candle— canister
candle, pillar, taper, tealight or votive—to
one-quarter inch every time you light the
candle. This will ensure clean, smoke-free
burning. Be sure to remove any wick debris
that has fallen into the candle.
- If in the unlikely event that your
candle is smoking, and you've already
trimmed the wick to one-quarter inch,
extinguish the candle immediately. Pinch or
trim the wick just a bit more and the
smoking will stop.
If you've bought a superior-quality candle,
you shouldn't have problems with smoking.
Fine quality candles are virtually
smokeless.
In addition, scented candles will smoke more
than unscented candles. Therefore, the scent
in the candle needs to be of the highest
quality as well.
- Candles need oxygen. If you burn a
candle in a small, confined area it will
smoke. So consider the size of the room when
you arrange your candles.
- The most effective way to extinguish the
flame of a candle is to use a candle
snuffer. The snuffer helps prevent the wax
from spraying, and keeps the wick centered
as well.
- If you don't have a snuffer, here's an
effective way to extinguish a candle:
Position your forefinger between the candle
and your mouth, aligning it with the flame.
When you blow at the candle, the "air" will
circle around your finger, and hit the flame
from both sides, rather than approaching it
directly. It's a clever trick. Try it!
- You can keep your candles smooth and
silky-looking by gently rubbing them with
ordinary nylon stockings. This will remove
scratches, and will also rub off the "bloom"
that forms on a beeswax candle.
- To guard your candles against fading,
avoid placing them in direct sunlight.
- Store your candles in a dry, cool, dark
place.
- Before you slip a votive candle into a
votive cup or holder, drop a teaspoon of
water into the cup. This way, when you want
to remove the votive candle to replace it
with another, the candle should slide out
easily. Plus, you won't have to struggle, or
run the risk of damaging the holder.
Check periodically to make sure there is
ample water remaining in the holder.
- Special tip: To sample a scented candle,
breathe the fragrance in from the bottom of
the candle rather than the top or side.
Undisturbed by circulating air, the aroma
will be intensely concentrated there, more
so than on any other part of the candle.
Important! Burn
your candles mindfully.
While all of the above ideas offer
suggestions to enhance your candlelight
experience, the following advice includes
absolute "musts." We strongly recommend your
following these important steps for using
your candles safely.
- Never leave a burning candle unattended.
- Keep candles out of the reach of
children and pets.
- Always place your candles on sturdy,
non-flammable holders, in sizes appropriate
for the candles.
- Always light candles in draft-free
areas, to prevent dripping and smoking. If a
draft cannot be avoided, turn the candle 180
degrees every hour.
- Never burn a candle completely. Dispose
of it when it burns to within one inch of
the base or holder.
- Remember to remove the labels on your
candles before you light them.
To paraphrase the old saying, if it's worth
doing, it's worth doing right. From those of
us who live by candlelight every single day
of the year—the folks who work at
Escentscandle.com—we hope the lessons we've
learned about candle care will be helpful for
you. And as we discover more secrets to the
art of burning candles, we'll continue to
pass them along to you.
Meanwhile, welcome to the world of
candlelight. It is an honor to share our
experiences with you!
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438 Andrews Highway / Midland, Texas 79701
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