Candle Safety Tips

With every spark of a match and light of a candle, you must be conscious of the hazards that come along with the peaceful serenity of burning that candle. To make sure that you can enjoy your “me time” to the fullest extent, take the time to learn how to make every burn a safe one with these few tips.

Before you even take the first step of lighting your candle, you want to set a few things in order first. Whenever you light a candle, you want to make sure that the surface in which you are setting it is sturdy, flat, and somewhat heat resistant. Your candles beautiful aroma comes about as a result of melted wax; this melted wax, however, is just as dangerous, or even more so, than the flame itself. Being conscious of where you place your candle before you even light it is an important first step to making sure you can enjoy the entirety of your little pockets of peace. Alongside placement, before you light your candle you want to make sure you take time to trim the wick of your candle. Trimming the wick not only aids in the burn efficiency of your candle, but prevents a large and unruly flame from unfurling. Candles are meant to provide comfort and warmth, so if you ever notice the flame on your candle getting out of hand and disrupting the peaceful environment you intended upon creating with a tall or flickering flame, make sure to blow out the candle and attend to trimming the wick.

Now that you have successfully lit your candle and are beginning to settle down for a moment of peaceful silence, make sure to be constantly aware of your environment. Watch out for flammable objects nearby that could be caught in the flame and lead to a very unwanted end to your “me time”. Along with that, watch out for the curious hands of little ones or the fluffy tails of pets. Even during moments reserved for yourself, the responsibility that comes with burning a candle forces you to be aware of your surroundings and be attentive whenever that flame is burning.

After a few hours of burning, your candle will have produced a significant amount of liquid wax. Before you go to blow out your candle and leave the area of peace you’ve created, make sure to end your “me time” as safely as possible. By blowing into hot liquid wax to blow out your candle, you threaten splattering hot wax on to yourself that could potentially burn you. In a effort to avoid this, invest in a flame snuffer, which is a much more reliable and safer alternative to blowing out your candle. Along with this, after you have finished burning your candle, leave it there to cool before you attempt on moving it. Hot canisters and wax are not the way to end a peaceful afternoon or evening. Similarly, be aware of the amount remaining in your candle every time you go to light it and “blow” it out. You never want to burn a candle all the way to the bottom, as you increase the chances of the canister in which your candle is being held collecting heat and either becoming extremely hot to the touch, or shattering from the heat; always burn to about a quarter inch from the bottom before retiring your candle and venturing off in to a new aroma.

Candles bring an essence of tranquility into your home; a moment in time in which you can relax and take a second for yourself. However, to make sure your moments of peace stay peaceful, being mindful of how you interact with your candle. With every burn comes the responsibility of creating a safe environment for yourself, and others, so that your little pockets of peace and moments of “me time” stay essentially vibrant parts of your daily routine.

-Kenzington Baxter, Guest Writer