By Barbara
Albuquerque de Sousa
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Using a candle takes more than just lighting it up. Using it correctly makes the candle last longer, burn better, and most of all, make it safer.
Be careful where you lit the candle
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.
Never leave the candle unattended
Never leave a burning candle unattended or lit while sleeping. If you are going to leave the room or go to bed, be sure to extinguish all candles first.
Before leaving the room, make sure your candle is completely out and there is no glow coming from the wick ember.
Never lit a candle near children, pets
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lit candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
Make sure your candle burns evenly the first time you light it.
When you light a candle for the first time, let it burn for a while. You want to ensure the entire surface of the candle melts before you put it out. If you don’t, your candle could end up with a rim of solid wax that never ends up melting. (This is called Tunneling).
Trim your candle's wick.
If you want a clean, even burn, make sure your candle’s wick is the right length. This might require some trimming. Before you light your candle, double-check your wick’s length. Keep it at around 0.5 cm (around 0.2inches).
A too-short wick can get lost in a sea of melted wax and fail to light. Too long and the wick will curve and dip on the melt pool (also called Bridging).
Retire your candle while there's still wax in it.
You should stop using a candle before it completely runs out of wax. Why? If you let your candle burn all the way down, it could overheat its container—which could damage the container, create a mess, or both. Most candle experts recommend retiring your candle while there’s still 12mm (around 0.5 inches) of wax left in it.
Do let your candle burn for about 3 to 4 hours at a time.
Candles are developed to be burned three to four hours at a time.
–If it burns for a short period, your candle may tunnel, or it may not smell very fragrant. Fragrance is emitted via evaporation from the pool of hot wax, so the larger the hot wax pool, the more it can emit.
–too long, and your candle may get too hot, and its wax may get too thin. The heat can damage some of the fragrance oils in your candle, and the thin wax can cause your candle to put off soot.
Don't put your candle in a windy spot.
Wind can cause your candle to burn unevenly, which can lead to tunneling. “Keep the candle away from air vents, windows, or drafts,” Brown says. “If you notice the flame flickering, or it appears to be tunneling, move the candle to a place with less air movement.”
Do put your candle on a heat-resistant surface.
This one may seem obvious, but it bears repeating. Be sure your candle is on a steady, heat-resistant surface before you light it. Otherwise, you may damage your furniture. (And of course, keep your candle away from flammable objects—and away from any kids or pets who might knock it over.
Place each candle apart from the others
If burning multiple candles, place each candle at least 10cm (4 inches) apart from another candle. This is to ensure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts.
