I get asked a lot about safety tips & advice from customers who have bought candles or tealights from us and want to use them safely at home.

There are 3 “Basics of Candle Safety” which are: –

1/ Never leave a burning candle or tealight unattended.
2/ Never burn a candle on or near anything that might catch fire.
3/ Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.

Here is some advice on the proper way to burn a candle ;-

Before lighting…

– Trim the wick to 5 mm each time before burning. The safest way to do this is with a wick trimmer. Note that long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping or flaring.
– Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room.
– Place the candleholder/tealight holder on a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface.
– Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
– Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, sooting and excessive dripping.

One of the best ways to keep soot down when you’re burning a candle is to keep the wick trimmed to about 5 mm.
When you first light a candle, make sure that the wick is trimmed down to that 5 mm length so that you don’t start off with a high flame.

Scented Lotus Flower Candle in Tin from Thailand

Scented Lotus Flower Candle in Tin from Thailand

While burning…

– Never touch or move a burning candle. And never ever move a candle when the wax is liquefied.
– Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when a minimum 1 cm of wax remains.
– Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Leave the candle to cool, then trim the wick and check for unwanted drafts, before re-lighting.
– Always keep the candle within your sight. If you are going to leave the room, ensure you first blow out all candles.

When extinguishing…

– Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
– Never use water to extinguish a candle, as it can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
– Make sure the candle has been completely put out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
– Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled down.

So, follow this advice and use your own common sense at all times and your candles and tealights will make your house feel like a home.

“Thanks for reading my Blog.
If you have any additional advice, please leave it in the Comments box below” – Paul