Candle burning Tips

How to Get the Most Out of Your Beeswax Candle

Click here to shop candles...

​

Beeswax is all-natural, and does not benefit from the chemical additives that “big name” candle producers use to produce a predictable burn. Therefore, the beeswax candle-maker relies on the art of selecting the proper wick out of hundreds of possible options, and by following proper candle-burning “hygiene.”

 

All candles require maintenance while burning, in order to minimize smoke and to ensure the best, safest candle experience possible. In this section, we offer information about general beeswax candle burning, as well as special instructions for votive candles and our outdoor candles.

 

We spend months testing wicks for our candles, and have chosen what we believe to be the best wicking options for our beeswax container candles. We hope you enjoy these natural creations.

 

How to burn a beeswax candle:

 

1. Trim the wick to 1/8”-1/4” before each and every burn. This is extremely important for beeswax, which burns hotter than soy or synthetic waxes. If you accidentally cut the wick too short and the flame goes out due to "drowning," simply tip the candle 45 degrees to allow the melted wax reservoir to run sideways, then re-light the wick.

2. Trim the wick if you notice nuisance amounts of smoke. This may be approximately every 1.5 to 3 hours. Sometimes, immediately after lighting a trimmed wick, it is necessary to blow it out and re-trim it. It is highly suggested to maintain the height of the wick at 1/8” inch if smoking becomes noticeable. 

3. Wicks should stand straight. If your wick is leaning toward one side, use a non-flammable object to gently push the wick upright. Failure to center your wick may result in tunneling, or an uneven burn pattern within the container. Be sure that the wick is warm or burning when you gently push it up, so that the wick does not break.

4. Follow proper candle-burning safety. A few examples of candle safety are as follows: do not burn near flammable objects, do not burn in a drafty room, only burn when an adult is present, do not handle or move burning candle containers, protect surfaces that may become damaged by a hot candle sitting on them, etc. There is a candle safety sticker on our candles. Please follow the guidelines on the sticker.

5. Avoid burning your candle for more than four hours at a time. After 4 hours, please put out the flame and let the wax cool before trimming the wick and re-lighting. Burning longer than 4 hours may result in a hot container.

6. For best results, burn beeswax candles for 4 hours at a time. This helps optimize wax consumption, and helps ensure that a complete burn for your candle.

​

Votive Burning Instructions:

 

1. Trim wick to 1/8th to 1/4" before each burn.

2. Votives are designed to be placed in close-fitting containers.

3. When burning, votives will melt over the sides and fill the gap in the votive container.

4. Follow all safety guidelines provided on the candle safety sticker provided with your votives. Towards the end of the life of the votive, especially, the container should not be handled with bare hands while the candle is lit. A flame in a small, glass container will be hot.

​

Outdoor Candles- Additional Information:

 

Please note that our blended outdoor candles have a lower melting point than 100% beeswax. This design allows our outdoor candles to do their jobs quicker, but may also keep them softer during storage in warm or hot environments. We recommend storing these candles inside, in areas that are not exposed to the hot environments of locked vehicles or motorhomes, etc. If storing with your camping gear in extreme heat situations, please keep these tips in mind: Store the candles upright and level, and keep them away from items that might be damaged if in contact with soft wax.

​

​

Cleaning Candle Containers After Use (optional):

 

To clean your used candle container for re-use or recycling, we recommend the following procedure:

 

Materials:

 

• Candle container with residual wax and wick sustainer

• Baking sheet lined with foil

• Paper towel (1 or 2)

• Chopstick or other utensil than can be placed inside the candle container.

• Optional- solvent such as rubbing alcohol, vodka, or a natural “goo” removal product.

                

Caution: Melted wax is hot. Be very careful when handling melted wax, and protect your hands with pot holders, as necessary.

 

1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees, and place your burned candles on a baking sheet lined with foil (to protect the sheet from wax spills).

2. When the residual wax is melted and pooled in the bottom of the container, remove the baking sheet from the oven.

3. Using a pot holder to hold the container steady, place the paper towel in the bottom to soak up the melted wax.

4. Use the chopstick or other implement to wipe the towel around the bottom of the container.

5. Remove the paper towel with the melted wax, as well as the wick sustainer.

6. Repeat these steps if a significant amount of wax remains.

7. If desired, a solvent such as alcohol may be used to remove the final, thin film of wax from the glass. A scouring pad may also be used to clean glass.