Burning your candle for the first time
Before lighting your candle for the first time, check the wick and trim if necessary to about 6mm. This ensures that you candle will burn well and will not smoke.
When you light the candle, light the wick where it meets the wax and not at the top and make sure it is COMPLETELY LIT and a small pool of melted wax has started around the wick before you remove the original flame (natural cotton wicks take longer to start than chemically treated ones).
Burn your Light in the Window until the entire top of the candle is melted (i.e. the pool of wax goes all the way to the edge.)
Safety and Caution
Remove all packaging, including the bag, prior to use.
To prevent fire and serious injury:
– always burn candle within sight;
– never burn candle on or near anything that can catch fire;
– keep out of reach of children and pets.
Burn away from draughts and fans which can cause uneven burning, dripping or smoking.
Keep wick trimmed to about 6mm and always remove any debris before lighting.
Best to store the candles in a cool place, away from direct sunlight and heat.
Extinguishing your candle
Have you ever seen those videos or read an article about “things you have been doing wrong your entire life?” One example that comes to mind is “how to peel a banana”! Well…. did you know, that you should not blow your candle out?
Blowing a candle out may cause hot wax to go on your face and/or surrounding areas. Blowing can also make the wax uneven, so that subsequent burns are not as efficient; and cause the candle to smoke. (That’s because the core of the wick continues to burn for a short time, causing the inside of the wick to turn to carbon, making it quite brittle and the candle hard to light the next time.)
Here are two ways we recommend to extinguish your candle:
Dipping
Very carefully push the wick over into the melted wax then straighten it back up again. You can purchase “wick dippers” or use any household object, such as a chopstick to do the job.
Extinguishing the candle in its own wax means there is no smoke. There is also the added benefit of conditioning the wick, allowing it to light easier and stay lit longer during future use.
Snuffing
If you have a candle snuffer, (or you can use a spoon!) you simply place it over the flame and hold for about 15 seconds, so that any smoke does not escape.
Beeswax “blooms”
Over time you might see a light film on the surface of your beeswax candle that resembles frost; this is called “Bloom” and it is a hallmark of beeswax candles, especially if they have been subjected to many temperature changes. (Only 100% pure beeswax will ‘bloom’: if you find ‘beeswax’ that does not bloom you can be sure that it has been blended with paraffin, soy or palm wax.)
Rubbing the candle with a soft cloth or warming with a hair dryer will remove candle bloom. Once removed, bloom may again reappear on pure beeswax. Bloom has no effect on how your beeswax candle will burn.
Caring for our environment
After you have enjoyed the life of your Light in the Window, please re-purpose the jar. Leave the jar to soak in warm (not hot) soapy water for an hour, then wipe and rinse and it will be clean of any residue wax and ready to re-use.
You may also like to read…
How and where our beautiful Light in the Window bags are made: Our packaging
More information about our Candles.