Candle Care Instruction / How to Burn Candles

How to Burn Candles | Candle Care Instructions

Before we put a short list of most common “Do’s & Don’ts” of candle care instructions let us mention one important assumption. We make only raw beeswax candles. As beekeepers this is the only wax we know and believe in as fully sustainable and made by nature (aka bees). And by “raw” we mean extracted from hives, 100% natural and of great benefits for your health, wellbeing and environment. Please bear in mind, majority of “beeswax” on the market is a factory blend of cheap waxes, chemicals and only 10-20% of raw beeswax. We do not use that beeswax. And our “how to burn candles evenly” is only for raw beeswax candles we make.

Summary
for those in a hurry

- Keep wick trimmed at 4-5mm. 
- Whenever wick is tilted to one side, please pull it upright so each side of a candle burns evenly.
- First time burning - make sure pool of wax is as large as possible - take your time and let candle burn for longer. Ideally until a pool of wax extends from one edge to another. 
- Second and subsequent lights - no need to get the edge-to-edge pool of wax each time. However, make sure you use   correct size of candle for your needs. If you need 30-60min session, go for a smaller candle. Prefer an evening with a candle, larger candles will fit better. 
- Keep a candle away from drafts, air movements (air con, vents, open window, chimney) as wick needs stability to create the temperature for melting beeswax. 
- There are no candles without smoke and soot. Beeswax produces less smoke and soot than any other candle. Maintaining wick and keeping the candle in quite place will help reducing amount of smoke to minimum. 
- Keep candles away from children and animals. 
- Place candle on even surface and use candle trays to prevent damage to your furniture. Do not leave candle unattended. 

Before you light a candle for the first time

Right, you got our candle. You like. Great. We did as much as possible to make the first impression right. Now it’s time to sit down, relax and light the candle.

– We already trimmed the wick for you so it’s short and prewaxed for the ease of lighting it up.

– Tilt the candle to one side and put the flame to the wick. Keep it there longer than usual. Make sure that flame catches not only wick but also beeswax itself. Beeswax has very high melting point (min 63C v 30-45C for paraffin or soy). It requires much stronger wick that in turn will need more time to fire up and keep going.

First burning

It’s the most important part of getting right. If you burn a candle too long, you will produce soot and reduce its life. Too short and you will tunnel the candle. So how to burn candle evenly?

– Put a candle in quiet place. By quiet we mean no drafts, no air vents, no air con, no chimney/fireplace nearby, no windows opened etc. Just keep it somewhere where traffic is light. Each movement of air will distort the flame and will produce soot.

– Make sure flame is well established (both wick and beeswax are burning/melting well) before you put off your match/lighter.

– Let a candle burn until you see a pool of wax from across whole candle – from one side of candle to the other side of a candle. Don’t light a candle if you are in hurry. Getting to the point where beeswax reached the edge of container may take 3-4 hours (depends on size of candle).

– Maintain the wick – keep the wick trimmed at 4-5mm. The longer the wick, the higher chances of soot and decreased performance of a candle.

That way you will burn candle evenly later on.

General tips for candle care

– Trim the wick to 4-5mm to prevent strong flame and making soot. Whenever flame is too strong or keeps flickering, it’s probably good time to make the cut.

– First burn – let the candle create full side-to-side pool of beeswax. Subsequent sessions may be shorter but bear in mind size of candle impacts the recommended burn time for each burning session. If you are frequent candle user and prefer short sessions, smaller candles will be more suitable to your personal style. Conversely, if your preference is for longer burning time and less frequent use then go for larger candles.

– When you put the flame down, there will be smoke. Where there is fire, there must be smoke. You can minimise the amount of smoke by ducking the wick into liquid pool of wax rather than simply blowing it away.

– Never leave candle unattended. Pay special attention where children or animals live with you.

– Reuse the containers – if you fancy another candle, buy a refill. We sell them here. Or plant a flower in it. Or use as a pencil holder.

– Raw beeswax candles will bloom. Blooming is natural process where low melting point oils in beeswax start getting to the surface of a candle. It will result in covering a candle with whiteish tiny crystals. This is absolutely expected process and one of the signs that beeswax is of high quality. Some people like the cloudy look of bloomed candle as they prefer that vintage resemblance of a candle. For those who prefer yellow colour of beeswax, just buff out the candle with soft cloth. A few touches will do the magic. And your candle will be back in beeswax colour.

– Candles should not be placed directly on furniture. High temperature may discolour the surface. Any beeswax spillage may mark your furniture. Please use any tray that is heat resistant. We make special trays to be used with candles. Please check out our shop for different designs. They are all make by hand in our apiary in Hertfordshire.

Keep wick trimmed at 4-5mm