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Candle Safety Tips
Candles are safe products, but may become hazardous when used improperly or in an unsafe manner. Fire safety agencies report that the bulk of candle fire incidents are due to consumer inattention to basic fire safety or to the misuse of candles.
The National Candle Association recommends the following safety tips when burning candles:
Always keep a burning candle within sight. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.
Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, 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.
Read and carefully follow all manufacturer instructions.
Burn your pillar candle one hour for every inch of its diameter, the first time you light it. This will allow the pool of wax to reach the outside rim and prevent your candle from forming a tunnel in its center.
Trim candlewicks to 1/4 inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.
Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax. Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface.
Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, smoking and excessive dripping. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire. Ceiling fans can cause drafts.
Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
Do not burn a candle for longer than the manufacturer recommends.
Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room.
Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inches of wax remains (1/2inch if in a container). This will also help prevent possible heat damage to the counter/surface and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.
Never touch or move a votive or container candle when the wax is liquid.
Extinguish pillar candles if the wax pool approaches the outer edge.
Candles should be placed at least three inches apart from one another. This is to be sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
One of the safest ways to extinguish a candle is to use a candle snuffer, which helps prevent hot wax from spattering.
Do not extinguish candles with water. The water can cause the hot wax to spatter and can cause glass containers to break.
Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are much safer light sources than candles during a power failure.
Never use a candle as light when you go into a closet to look for things.
Never use a candle for light when fueling equipment such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
Smoking or Sooting Candles
A well-made candle should not soot or smoke when burning properly. However, noticeable smoking will occur whenever a candle’s flame is disturbed, which allows unburned carbon particles (soot) to escape. In fact, any candle can be made to smoke by causing the flame to flicker.
To minimize candle flickering, trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting, and place burning candles away from
open windows, fans, vents, drafts and other strong air currents.
Consumers should know that the minuscule amount of soot produced by all candles is similar to that given off by toasters and cooking oils in the kitchen, and does not present a health concern.
Lead Wicks
Northern Candles uses NO LEAD wicks in our candles
only and always!. 3023
Here are a few more suggestions....
General Safety for any candle:
Never leave a burning candle unattended!
Keep burning candles away from children and pets.
Do not place near flammable objects such as curtains, walls, etc.
Place on a protected, heat resistant, level surface.
Keep candle free of wick trimmings, matches, or other foreign matter that
could be a fire hazard.
Avoid burning in drafts.
Avoid walking with lit candles.
Keep wick trimmed to 1/4 inch at all times to avoid carbon build up on
the wick (mushrooming), dark smoking, and soot in the air and on walls or
furniture.
Allow candle to cool before trimming wick or re-lighting.
Container/Jar Candles:
To avoid glass containers shattering: Do not burn a candle in a
container that is chipped or cracked. Do not allow candle to burn
completely down to the bottom of container, stop about 1/2 inch
short. Do not allow flame to touch sides of container.
Containers may become very hot, handle with care!
Allow candle to cool before replacing lid on jar.
Container candles & votive containers should be set in a wire holder or
on a trivet to protect surfaces from heat. Hot candle jars can damage
furniture.
All candles, especially highly scented ones, will produce some smoke and
soot, but proper burning (keeping wick trimmed and avoiding drafts, etc.)
will help eliminate this problem.
Helpful Tips:
Burn candles 1 hour for each inch of its diameter. This allows
the flame time to melt the wax to the outer edge. Burning less time
will cause the candle to core burn down the middle & shorten burn
time. Example: a 3" wide candle should be burned for 3 hours at a
time.
Use toenail clippers to trim wicks in jars in which scissors won't fit.
Candles will fade if left in direct sunlight or spotlights for extended
periods of time.
Before a party, light and extinguish candles. They will light more
quickly and easily later.
Candles (generally tapers or pillars) refrigerated before using will burn
more slowly and evenly. Wrap in foil or plastic before refrigeration to
prevent wicks from absorbing moisture.
To extinguish a candle, use a candlesnuffer, or hold fingers in front of
the flame and blow. This will prevent hot wax from splattering on furniture.
Problem Solving:
If a wick becomes too short to light, carve away enough wax to
expose the fresh wick, then trim 1/4 inch off the top of the candle
and burn the candle to reform it's appearance.
Crooked burning: If wick moves off center, use a butter knife to gently
push it back to center. If there is a draft, rotating the candle can help.
If soot builds up inside container, clean with a paper towel & lighter
fluid or Windex. Wipe over the cleaned area with water dampened paper towel
afterward. Allow the container to dry thoroughly before re-lighting. Baby
wipes work as well!
Clean soiled or scratched candles with old nylons or use a touch of salad
oil on a soft cloth.
Remove wax from holders by running very hot water over them.
To remove wax from washable fabrics, scrape off excess wax and run
boiling water through the material.
If you are unable to solve the problem yourself, try
searching the internet, or contact Northern Candles directly at
northerncandles1@yahoo.com
www.northerncandles.theshoppe.com
For all candle types:
Always read WARNING labels. *Never leave a candle burning
unattended. *When extinguishing your candles, dip wick into the liquid
wax, using a nonflammable instrument, then reposition wick in upright
position, this eliminates smoking. *Always keep wick trimmed to 1/4" to
eliminate smoking. *Keep candles out of drafts. Drafts cause candle
flames to flicker, and smoke is released when the flame is disturbed.
*Should a candle burn unevenly due to a draft, consider the following:
Carefully push wick towards the higher side. Repeat this practice a few
times and the candle will repair itself.
Jar Candles:
*Always burn your candle one hour per inch of the jar. For example,
if you have a 4 inch jar candle, burn 4 continuous hours then
extinguish. This breaking in process insures that it will perform better
and burn evenly throughout the life of the candle. Never burn cracked or
chipped jar candles. Never allow a container candle to burn all the way
to the bottom, the flame WILL cause the glass to break.
Fragrance Mushrooms:
While burning your candle you may develop a carbon buildup on your
wick, commonly referred to as a Fragrance Mushroom. This is a friendly
reminder that you have purchased a handmade, highly scented candle. If
you see a carbon buildup on the wick, extinguish the candle, trim the
wick to 1/4", relight and enjoy.
Candles are a very enjoyable, soothing, relaxing and romantic
accessory to any room. Please use caution when using. Keep any lit
candle out of a breeze from windows, fans, etc. This will cause your
candle unable to burn properly. This is where you see wax on the sides
of jars, uneven pillar candles that drip through a hole, or lop-sided
edge. Placing your candle in the fridge or freezer will indeed help you
candle to burn a little slower. And always remember, before lighting any
candle whether it is new or used, trim you wick to 1/4 inch before
lighting!
Be safe
and.... Enjoy!
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