Home should be a place of safety, peace and comfort. We love filling spaces with warm and welcoming scents that take us home. That's why we want you to enjoy your candles fully and why we have compiled this candle safety guide so you can enjoy your favorite fragrances at home with peace of mind.
Trim the wick
Always trim your wick 1/4" before each use. Keeping your wick the proper length will prevent it from curling or dripping and causing an uneven flame. Trimming the wick each time also prevents old wick trimmings or debris from accumulating in the wax. Use a wick trimmer designed to easily maintain the wick.
Use a long match or lighter to light your candles
To prevent injury or accidentally dropping a lit match due to a sudden burn, use a long match or lighter that allows you to keep your hand and clothing a safe distance from the flame.
Extinguish and dispose of matches properly
While blowing out a match extinguishes the flame, it still remains hot and is able to cause flammable items, such as paper, to ignite. After extinguishing a match, run it under water or allow it to cool on a heat resistant surface before throwing it away.
Do not leave lit candles unattended
A candle should always be burned in sight and should not be left unattended. Leaving a candle unattended increases the risk that it may be knocked over or forgotten.
Choose an appropriate spot to burn your candle
Candles should always be burned:
- in well ventilated spaces
- away from open windows, vents or other areas where air flow may shift the flame
- away from flammable objects like curtains, bedding, books or paper
- out of reach of children and pets
- on a stable, heat resistant surface
Do not move or touch a candle that is burning or melted
Always wait until a candle has completely cooled before touching or moving it. Touching a hot candle can cause injury from the heat itself or from spilt wax and could also cause a fire if accidentally dropped while burning.
Do not burn a candle for more than 4 hours or overnight
After 4 hours of burning, carbon begins to build on the wick causing the flame to become unstable. This can create tunneling, soot emission and damage to the candle container. A candle should also never be burned overnight or while sleeping. Not extinguishing the candle runs the risk of it being knocked over or burning all the way to the bottom causing damage to the container, which could lead to breakage and exposing the flame.
Never burn a candle that is damaged
Burning a candle in a container that is cracked or damaged can lead to breakage upon use and a possible fire. Always cease using a candle that has become damaged or broken.
Extinguish the candle flame properly
It is best practice to use a candle snuffer or wick dipper to put out a flame and to never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can splatter hot wax and cause damage to the candle jar. A snuffer prevents hot wax splatter and allows the flame to go out safely by cutting off exposure to oxygen. A wick dipper allows you to safely submerge the burning wick into the wax to extinguish the flame. You then use the curved end to pull the wick back up. This method allows the oxygen to be cut off and prevents the smoke that occurs from blowing out the flame. Once extinguished, make sure that any embers on the wick are no longer glowing. Let your candle cool for at least 2 hours before relighting.
Discontinue burning your candle once only 1/2" of wax remains
Burning your candle to the bottom of the container could cause damage to the candle jar creating a safety hazard. To get the most out of the last bit of your candle wax, use an automatic-shut off candle warmer to melt and release the fragrance without needing to light a flame.
Do not use sharp items to remove wax from a candle container
Using sharp objects like knives to scrape wax from a container can cause damage to the vessel causing it to weaken, crack or break upon use.
Keep wax clean
Keep foreign objects such as wick trimmings or matches out of candle wax to prevent creating a fire risk.
Following these simple rules will allow you to enjoy burning your candles to the fullest and can prevent harmful accidents.
Still worried about an open flame? Take a look at our wax melt and candle warmer options for a pet and child-friendly alternative to lighting candles!
