Candle User Guide

How to Burn a Candle Safely

Before Lighting:

Before burning, always trim the wick to ¼ inch. You can use a wick trimmer, nail clippers, or scissors. Long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping or flaring.
Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.

Preventing memory rings:

As with all candles, the first burn is the most important. To begin, candles should burn one hour for every 1 inch in diameter of the actual candle size. Therefore, a Jar should burn a minimum of 4 hours to liquefy the entire top layer of wax. If the wax is not allowed to liquefy or to melt from edge to edge of the jar or tumbler, it will create a “memory ring,” especially if this is the first time the candle is lit. Once a candle has this “memory ring,” it will continue to tunnel and to burn that way for the life of the candle.

Burn candles in a well-ventilated room:

Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, sooting, and excessive dripping.
In general, it is recommended that candles do not burn for longer than four hours and cool for at least two hours before relighting.
When lighting a candle, use long matches or a long-reach lighter. Keep your hair and loose clothing away from the flame.

While Burning:

Never leave a candle unattended.
Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
Never touch or move a candle while it is burning or while the wax is liquefied.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 1/2 inch remains in the container or 2 inches if using a pillar candle.
Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
Never use a candle as a night light or while you may fall asleep.
Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater.

When Extinguishing a Candle:

Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
Make sure the candle is completely 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.
Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.