Lighting a candle is an occasion for every occasion! A gentle flame and sweet smell is the perfect companion for morning yoga, Sunday cleaning, evening bath time, and late-night Netflix.
Candles are designed to be enjoyed and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use them regularly if they lift your spirits. But if you want to make your candle last a long time, you need to care for it properly.
Proper candle care isn’t just about staying safe (although that is very important!). It’s also about how you light, use and store your candle, which, when done right, can increase your burn time and help the wax smell better for longer.
If you want to make your new soy wax candle from House of Two Trees last, we’re here to help!
In this article, we’ll cover:
- General candle safety guidance
- How to care for your candle
- How to increase the burn time of your candle
- How to store your candle properly
- How to dispose of your candle safely & sustainably
Let’s get reading!
General Safety Guidance
When using your soy wax candle, always follow the general safety guidelines and:
- Never leave your candle unattended
- Never burn a candle for longer than 4 hours at a time
- Always leave 10cm between two burning candles
- Always leave 5mm of wax in the jar
- Do not burn candles on or near anything that can catch fire
- Do not burn a candle all the way down
You’ll find this guidance and a full list of other general safety information on the base of every House of Two Trees candle.
How to Care for Your Soy Wax Candle: General Candle Care Guidance
One of the many benefits of having a soy wax candle is that you get a more powerful fragrance compared with other waxes’, like paraffin wax (which also isn’t as sustainable or good for the planet).
To get the most from your soy wax candle, you should use it within the first 1-2 years of purchase. This ensures the scent stays strong and doesn’t deteriorate. It’s also when the wax is at its “healthiest”.
To care for your candle properly, try to:
- Go for a Long Burn
Burning a candle in short stints can lead to an uneven burn, so it’s best to light it for a few hours. As a general rule, wait until the wax pool has melted before blowing out the flame.
Remember, for safety reasons, you should never burn your candle for longer than 4 hours!
- Snuff it, Don’t Blow It
Blowing out a candle is traditional, but it can lead to the wax pool scattering, which, once again, can result in an uneven burn!
Snuff it out instead of blowing it. Use a candle snuffer or the lid (if it’s non-flammable) to suffocate the flame and put it out evenly.
- Keep it Clean
Once you’ve used your candle, always keep the wax pool clear of any debris.
Trimmed bits of wick, matches, and burnt ends aren’t good for your candle – and they won’t help you increase burn time.
Once you’ve snuffed your candle, fish out any debris with a toothpick. It’s best to do this while the wax is still slightly hot. Fishing out debris when the wax is cold can damage it and make it uneven.
How to Store Your Candles Properly
Storing your soy wax candle properly is one of the best ways to lengthen its burn time, prolong its shelf life, and help it maintain its powerful scent every time you light it.
Always keep your candle:
- Away from heat, humidity and direct sunlight
- Out of reach of pets and children
- With the lid on (when not in use)
- Upright
Try to avoid storing your candle anywhere warm, wet or with a draught.
Because soy wax candles are made from vegetable soybeans, the wax can melt and the scents can deteriorate if left in a hot environment.
Some of the best places to store a soy wax candle in your home include:
- In a dry cupboard
- On a shelf in a shady area of your home, like a bookshelf
- In a dark room or a shaded corner, like on a bedside table
Some places to avoid keeping your candle include:
- In a conservatory
- Above a radiator
- On a sunny or draughty window ledge
How to Get the Longest Burn Time From Your Soy Wax Candles
Depending on the size, your soy wax candle can burn for 20-85 hours in total.
Here’s a general guide as to how long our candles burn for:
- Small candles of 100ml: Between 20-25 hours
- Medium candles of 170ml: Between 40-45 hours
- Extra-large candles of 500ml: Between 80-85 hours
By looking after your candle properly, you should easily be able to enjoy a burn time within the specified range.
If you want to prolong the life of your candle even further, here’s our tips on how to increase the burn time of a soy wax candle.
- Choose the Right Environment
Firstly, you need to choose the right environment to light your candle in if you want to increase your burn time.
Always pick a flat surface away from wind, draught and direct sunlight to ensure your candle burns evenly.
Placing a candle in a draughty area, next to an open window, or below a ceiling fan will cause the wick to move around while burning, creating uneven ridges in the wax.
- Trim the Wick
If your candle has a deep hole around the wick, you’ve got a problem!
Few people know this, but when a candle burns unevenly into a tunnel, it isn’t an issue with the candle, but with how you’re treating the wick.
When a wick is too long, it can make the wax burn unevenly, wasting wax and reducing the burn time of your candle.
As part of proper candle care, you should always keep your wick at ¼ inch.
For most people, a ¼ inch is about the length of a trimmed fingernail.
Get into a routine of checking the wick length before lighting your candle and trim it down if it’s too long.
- Sprinkle Table Salt in the Wax Pool
Once you’ve snuffed out your candle, try this little hack to increase your burn time.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt in the melted wax pool and stir it with a toothpick.
In some candles, the salt can help slow down the burn time of the wax pool when you next light it. It can also help prevent tunnelling from forming or worsening.
How to Dispose of Your Soy Wax Candle After Use
At House of Two Trees, our soy wax candles come in decorative, amber-tinted jars with black lids.
Once you’ve enjoyed your candle, you can either keep the jar, dispose of it, or send it back to us for re-use to get 10% off your next purchase (which helps us and the planet!).
Here’s how to dispose of your candle safely and sustainably after use.
How to Remove Wax From an Empty Candle Jar Before Reusing
To keep your candle jar and reuse it for storage, you’ll need to remove the inner wax residue.
An easy way to do this is to pour hot water from the kettle into your jar and leave it to rest for 30-60 minutes.
The wax will slowly rise to the top of the jar and harden.
Once hardened, simply remove the wax with your hands and pluck out the wick. If you have a wax melt stand, you can reuse the residue as a wax melt or dispose of it as per your local recycling collections.
To remove the label from your jar, leave it to soak in warm water after you’ve cleaned the inner wax residue. Then peel it away and dispose of it properly.
How to Send Your Candle Jar Back to Us
To recycle your jar (and get a 10% discount off your next purchase!), send your empty jar back to our store.
Simply email our friendly team at hello@houseoftwotrees.com and we’ll tell you what you need to do.
Or save postage and drop your empty jar to us at one of our UK events or stores. We’d love to see you!
How to Recycle Your Candle Jar
Glass candle jars can usually be recycled with your glass waste.
You’ll likely need to peel off the label and remove the inner wax before recycling, depending on your local recycling centre rules.
Check your local recycling collections for details on how to recycle your used candles.
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