Everything you always wanted to know about safe candle use - and more.

The following information is VERY IMPORTANT. Please take the time to read through it. Feel free to print it out, copy it, and share it with everyone you know. Take it seriously. Take it to heart. We are not kidding. We care about you, and want you to be completely informed, for your safety and the safety of those around you.

Safe use of a candle

An open flame is always a potential danger. A burning candle CAN cause a fire. PLEASE use every safety precaution when burning a candle to protect yourself, your loved ones, your pets and your home. 

Keep a watchful eye on a burning candle at all times. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep. A wick could flare up, catching nearby curtains on fire. A child or pet could knock over a burning candle. A fire can get out of control faster than you can imagine. Just don't take that chance. Burn all candles in proper holders. This means, pillar candles should be on appropriate glass, ceramic or metal plates or holders; votives should be in appropriate, tight-fitting votive holders; tea lights should only be burned in appropriate holders and enclosures; and container candles should be placed on flat, heat resistant surfaces. For tin container candles, place the container base inside the cover to protect table surface from heat while burning. Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, upper cabinets (I have a singed bathroom cabinet to attest to this), drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, flammable liquids, 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. Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, and smoking. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire. Remember that ceiling fans can cause drafts too. Keep wick trimmed to 1/4", preferably 1/8". Trim it before every time you light a candle. If your wick is too long, your flame will be too high, and that's just not safe. It may also cause your candle to smoke. Keep wax free of wick trimmings, matches and debris. These kind of things can ignite in your candle, and become like wicks themselves. This will cause your candle to get too hot for the container, and could potentially cause a glass container to crack. Always burn your candle for about 3 – 6 hours at a time, and allow wax to harden before re-burning. Why this particular amount of time? Because when a candle is properly wicked, it is designed to reach its full melt pool after about 3 hours. If you never burn it that long, you are going to melt your candle down the middle, and possibly waste that wax on the sides of the container. If you burn it longer than 6 hours, the container could get excessively hot and potentially cause a glass container to crack. A full melt pool will also give you the maximum fragrance throw for your candle. Never touch or move a candle when burning or when the wax is liquid. Okay, this is obviously because you could burn yourself or make a mess. Cover your candle when not in use to preserve the scent, and keep dust out. 

Safe use of a wickless candle

Wickless Candles are still fairly new, and many people are not familiar with them. Although there is no danger of fire, there are still risks associated with melting wickless candles and regular candles on warmers.

Spilling is a risk of wickless candles, or any candle placed on a candle warmer. While soy wax is a little easier to clean up than paraffin wax, it would still make quite a mess if spilled. All glass containers are capable of breaking. Glass can weaken over time and repeated heating. Bumping a container can cause tiny fractures that can later cause glass to shatter. If you see any cracks in your candle container - throw it out immediately! Always use a warmer specifically intended for use with candles. This is really important. Do not use plate warmers intended for coffee mugs. They get hotter than a candle warmer. This can cause the wax to get dangerously hot, or the glass container to crack. With any of the warmers that we sell, the wax and the warmer can get very warm, but not hot enough to cause a burn if touched. We cannot say that about warmers that are not designed to be used with candles. Please don't ever do anything extra dangerous, like trying to warm your candle on a stove or hotplate. That's just plain risky. Do not use anything brighter than a 40 watt bulb in your Illuminating Candle Warmer. This will cause it to get too hot. Read and follow ALL instructions that come with your candle warmer. Wickless candles are not recommended around small children without direct adult supervision. It is best if they are placed on a shelf or surface high enough to be out of the reach of children and pets. Never stick your hands into a wickless candle. The wax will be hot, and you could spill it. If your child sees you doing it, he or she may want to try it too. Now, we know that if you have an Appearing Scene wickless soy candle, you may be tempted to move some of the embeds around. Some of them are adhered in place, and you won't be able to. Some can be moved, so if you absolutely must move them, use a wooden stick, like a bamboo skewer or craft stick, not your hand. Remove any cover and label from a candle prior to warming. Well, you wouldn't want to leave the lid on, how could you smell it then, right? Never touch or move a candle when burning or when the wax is liquid. Again, because you could burn yourself or make a mess. Do not leave your candle on a warmer for more than 8 hours at a time. This can cause the glass to get excessively hot, and weaken its integrity. Always supervise a warming candle. Check on your candle periodically, and don't fall asleep or leave the house while you are warming a candle. On average, your wickless candle will melt completely in about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. You will start to smell the fragrance already after about 30 minutes. Your wickless candle will melt best in a room that is at least 70 degrees F. Full melting of the wax may not be achieved, or will take much longer in an environment cooler than room temperature. You may add refresher fragrance oil to your candle when in a melted state, a few drops at a time as needed. Really, you shouldn't need more than 5 or 6 drops. Don't pour the whole vial in at once. This is more fragrance than the wax can hold, and it will pool on top of the wax when it hardens. It is not recommended to add a different fragrance to your candle, even if the original scent seems to have faded, as this could result in an undesirable new scent. Cover your candle when not in use to preserve the scent, and keep dust out. This is even more important with a wickless candle, because dust and hair will show up in a wickless candle on an Illuminating Candle Warmer. If you need to remove a piece of debris from a melted candle, please use a wooden stick, like a bamboo skewer or craft stick, not your hand.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about candle safety. Enjoy your candles to the fullest in a safe manner.

Sincerely,
Margaret Palecek
Owner
Thumbwick Candles
www.thumbwickcandles.com