Candles can be useful tools when it comes to decorating a home. Their light is soft and immediately creates a warm ambiance perfect for any home. They also don’t show up on your electric bill. Besides, the fanciest lamp for sale doesn’t also fill the air with someone’s aroma of choice.
Candles create a welcoming environment while also adding a touch of class to their immediate surroundings, which is why they’re a popular addition to a room — as long as you're not living in a dorm, where they're not allowed. But, while many people like to burn candles, the proper procedure to use them can sometimes go overlooked. Here are some tips to ensure that candles are fully enjoyed, not wasted.
Scent selection
Everyone has preferred scents for their candles. Some like fruity or floral scents, choosing candles like citrus or lavender. Others like scents that are fresh, like an ocean breeze. Personally, my favorite candle scent is sunflower — it’s floral but earthy. It doesn’t matter what kind of scent is chosen, but the important thing is to stick to it. If there’s one candle burning that’s cinnamon-scented and another that smells of Tahitian coconut, it creates a confused and unpleasant aromatic experience for residents and guests in any home. Keep it simple and maintain one genre of smell.
Trim your wick
If a candle is burned the wrong way for a while, the jar can sometimes develop these ugly black and smoky stains on it. This is because the wick wasn’t trimmed before the burn. Trimmed wicks mean a more controlled flame and less smoke going up the sides of the candle’s jar.
They also make for a flame brighter than an untrimmed wick, which develops a strange lumpy shape over time. Every time a candle is burned, the wick should be trimmed to 1/8 of an inch in length, according to Yankee Candle's guidelines for candle care. This can be done with scissors, nail clippers or even wick trimmers, which look like modified scissors created just to get the candle wick to a perfect length.
Avoid tunneling
When a candle is burned unevenly, meaning that the wax wasn’t allowed to melt all the way across, it creates a tunneling effect. The wick sinks lower and lower as walls of unburned wax go up the height of the candle. That wax goes completely wasted, and the unsuspecting candle owner will throw away hours of unused burn time. To avoid this, let the candle burn evenly: Yankee Candle’s rule of thumb is to let the candle burn one hour for every inch in diameter.
Don’t leave a candle unattended
Even though they’re pretty packages, with the wax and the wick often in a charming little jar, a lit candle is still an open flame. Keep candles away from anything combustible — something could fall over or shift and then the fire department is at the door. Candles should always be extinguished before you leave a room.
Besides, who would want to waste a good candle by burning it when he or she isn't there?
