You’re Doing It Wrong: How to Burn + Extinguish Your Candles So They Last Longer

It’s always a bit sad when a candle goes to the ground, however, it’s particularly sad when you’ve paid good money on it and it smells as… it’s nothing. It’s difficult to remember that candles with scents are made out of wax, which means they’ll melt if they become too hot.

In this article, we’ll try to show you how to put out a scented candle using as little effort as possible. We’ll start with the simplest and fastest method to accomplish this and gradually move to techniques that may need more work.

It’s worth it since even in the worst-case scenario, you will have a reason to unwind and relax following the process of burning out the candle.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT A CANDLE IS BURNING?

The flame of a candle looks similar to the flame of gas stoves. The flame burns straight, and absorbs oxygen along its path, generating the gases of carbon dioxide as well as water. These gases rise up the sides of the candle and are removed by the fresh air that enters from below.

If there’s no oxygen to burn, how does the wax that hasn’t been burned? It cools and then solidifies. This is known as “wick exhaustion”; it occurs when all wicks are consumed by the heat of the flame.

Below are some tips on how to tell whether the candle you are using is still burning:

The flame is less than normal. This could happen when there’s excessive candle wax, or there isn’t enough wick.

The flame is completely gone It is possible to trim the wick prior to when you light your candle again.

It’s too hot – If your candle is smoking or drips of wax, you’ll need to blow the flame out and trim the wick to make sure it’s less.

The wick is becoming black. As the flame is burning down, the wick will be consumed by wax, leaving only carbon deposits over the wick. This is referred to as”carbonized” wick or “carbonized” wick.

The flame color of a candle must be blue and have an orange tip. If it’s brighter than blue, then the candle’s wick is either too short or isn’t properly trimmed. When the flame appears too large it could be because the wick is too long or has excessive wax build-up around it.

The flame’s tip must always point toward the upward direction and not towards the sides or downwards-facing since this could indicate a low quality wick, or perhaps an open flame that can cause your candle to burst into flames!

THE PROPER WAY TO EXTINGUISH A SCENTED CANDLE

The first thing to remember is to make sure you don’t blow it up!

There are several reasons that blowing out a candle isn’t the most effective method to put it out. If the flame is big enough that blowing it out can cause the wick to move, and result in an unevenly melting pool of wax surrounding the wick. This isn’t the ideal situation when you’re trying to get rid of it. If you blow too fast, it’s possible that your breath could change its form and trigger another small puff of air that could swell the flames, instead of blowing the flames out entirely!

Another reason is that this technique isn’t recommended: When your breath gets sufficiently hot (and we’ll face it…it likely is) it’s not an assurance that it won’t cause condensation on surfaces nearby or items like curtains or books. This can cause damage to water over time because moisture can seep into wooden items such as tables and desks, which are likely to be stored in close proximity in the dark hours of the day.

HERE’S THE PROPER WAY TO EXTINGUISH A CANDLE:

The best method to put out the flame of a candle is to shut out the supply of oxygen to the candle. This can be accomplished with the lid or a candle snuffer. Make use of these tools to fully eliminate your candle prior to putting it away, otherwise, you may risk igniting an explosion. For larger jar candles, place the wick in the melting wax pool prior to re-centering it and straightening it.

Place the lid or Snuffer on the flame to stop oxygen.

Do not blow on a candle’s flame to extinguish it even if you think you’re taking care. The wax around the wick can begin melting and pouring down on any area that isn’t covered by your hands. The wax will also be scented on your hands and face–a huge no-no for those who prefer to smell nice instead of smelling like an extinguished candle!

The most effective method to set candles that smell good is by covering them with lids or snuffers when they begin to smoke. Wait until they have cooled before taking them off again as you could risk melting wax across your furniture or tabletop!

Keep it up until the flame has completely gone out.

Keep your candle close to the wick, and allow it to burn completely. The drip of wax onto the base or lid could result in soot accumulation that will cause the candle to burn unevenly and likely cause wick alignment issues.

For larger jar candles, place the wick in the melting wax pool for a few seconds prior to being re-centering and straightened.

This can prevent the wax from getting hard and make the removal of the candle from its holder a challenge. Also, it will slow down the speed at which your candle burns through the fuel source, meaning you won’t need to replace it as frequently.

The last step is to put out the flame by placing the glass or bowl that has been filled with water for around thirty minutes. This is for two reasons First, it stops any heat that remains from damaging nearby surfaces, and, secondly, in the event that wax drips onto carpet or tablecloth (which is not often) it is easily cleaned up using paper towels dipped in water. No scrubbing is required!

Clean any soot off the glass’s edge vessel by wiping it clean with an aqueous cloth.

Clean the wax off the inside of the glass container using a rag or paper towel to prevent soot from accumulating on the bottom edge of the candle.

If you’ve got leftover wax left in your container, you can make new candles or put them in molds to make different designs (such as hearts).

After all wax residue is gone, scrub any soot that has accumulated in the glass container by wiping its exterior surface with a damp, clean cloth until it sparkles again!

Do not blow your candles to blow them out!

If you blow out the candle, hot wax is scattered and can cause fire or damage to your furniture. This isn’t the best method to put out a candle. Instead, you should use the lid or the wick snuffer (a small tool made of metal with an angled tip) to properly extinguish it.

Takeaway:

Then, follow the instructions on the container of the candle you have scented. It is likely that this will need you to blow off the fire. But, many manufacturers will offer tips and tricks to extinguish the flame of a pillar or votive candle also. Whatever the case, keep in mind that your security is the primary aspect in this case. Slow down and figure out what is best for your specific candle, and don’t let a candle that is burning in the dark.