Candle Care
OK... this is the part that most people think... mmm.. yet another bit of info I can just skip over... but, it is probably the most important bit of info that you need to read to achieve the most perfect and safest burn from your Wild Wicks Candles... so, I will try and make it as painless as possible... hopefully not too boring... and, give you the most important information I can...
Grab a cuppa... here we go...
First of all, choose a position to burn your candle... away from the reach of little inquisitive fingers... yes, the 'kidlings'... as much as you tell them not to touch... guaranteed, they will try... so, the easiest solution is take away that temptation and place your Wild Wicks candles completely out of reach... better than getting rid of the kids... mmm.. did I say that out loud?
Same rule apples to all the 'Fuzzies' that are your family members... my cat has a huge fluffy tail... not the perfect match for a naked flame... as they say, 'curiosity killed the cat'... so this goes without saying... keep your candles away from all swinging tails... oh yer... and any drafts...
Make sure you burn your Wild Wicks Candles on an even heat proof surface...
Before light your Wild Wicks Candles, make sure your wick is trimmed to 5mm... any longer, it runs the risk of 'sooting'. You need to do this each and every time before you light your candle... a wick trimmer is your best friend!
I have tried every wax known to man... well, nearly... and no matter what wax I have tried, sooting always happens if the wick is too long... so, trim, trim trim!!!
OK... your wick is nicely trimmed... your candle is in the perfect position... the kettle has boiled... or the wine has been poured... Netflix is tuned in... now, time to light up...
Believe it or not, candles have a memory... for instance... if you initially light your candle and burn it for one hour, the melted wax pool may not reach the edge of your candle... when you light your candle the next time, the pool will never go past the point of the initial burn... what happens then is all types of ugly!!
The wick will start to tunnel down and as it warms the sides of your newly formed 'tunnel', more wax will be melted than the wick can handle and your flame will become small and may flood itself out... there will be heaps of wax left on the sides... it will never burn nicely...
Now... how to do it perfectly...
(I have trained my 'boys' well to do this... they are the expert trimmers and burners!!!)
Quite simply, light you yummy Wild Wicks Candle... yes, they are yummy to smell... (not to eat)
Carefully watch you wax pool and make sure it melt right to the edge of the glass.
There should be a melted pool of wax with no solid bit sitting around the edges.
If for any reason you need to rush out before the wax pool has reached the edge, using a wick dipper or metal skewer, extinguish your candle by gently pushing the wick under the wax, simply scrape the unmelted portions of wax away from the edge (use a wick dippper for this or an old spoon) and push them under the molten wax, give it a quick stir, center your wick carefully...
Never, never, never allow your candle to burn more than 3 - 4 hours at a time.
If you wish to use it again that day, allow it to cool for 2 hours, trim your wick, clean the sides with a tissue or paper towel (this step makes your candle look amazing all the time) and relight...
If your candles are burning longer than 3 - 4 hours at a time, your candle wick becomes too long and may cause your candle to start 'sooting'.... ugly...
I tend to have a couple of candles going at any one time... I just keep swapping the candles so there is always something burning...
The best way to extinguish your flame is to use a Wick Dipper (a metal tool with a little hook at one end... very handy for scraping the sides down if needed) Very gently, push the flame under the molten wax, pull it up and carefully center it again...
By doing this, there is no smoke and your wick will be nicely 'primed' and centered for the next use...
If you find your candle wick is not centered when you are burning it, use this Wick Dipper to push it to the center to allow your candle to burn evenly...
When the wax has solidified, you can use a tissue or paper towed and wipe away any wax residue off the sides... it comes of very clean, trim your wick to 5mm and it will ready for burning!
The extra few minutes used to clean the edges make all the difference... your Wild Wicks Candles will be like new... just with a bit less wax...
In warmer weather, if you don't constantly store your Wild Wicks Candles in a cool dry place, it may appear 'sweat'... Exposing your candles to extreme temperatures or moving it from one temperature to another causes the natural oils to separate from the wax leaving little droplets of oil on the surface of your candle. This is quite common for 100% soy candles... which is what I use... no additives.
Simply get a tissue and wipe this away... It doesn't effect the burn of your candle.
So, if you haven't nodded off yet, thank you for taking the time to read all the info... it is well worth it!