candle care

Are you CANDLE COMPETENT??  Probably not.  And that's okay - because once upon a time, neither were we.  :)  We're here to help!

Follow these tips each time you light you candle for a long safe burn:

*  Each time you light your candle, burn for 2-3 hours, especially the first time.  You want a nice full edge-to-edge melted pool of wax.  This prevents your candle from tunneling, and also gives you the best fragrance throw.  
*  Do not burn for more than 4 hours at a time to ensure safe temperature control and to extend the life of your candle.
*  Trim your wick to 1/4 inch each time before lighting.  If your flame is producing soot or has carbon build up on the end, it’s time for a trim. 
*  If the flame is too high or the candle is too hot, extinguish the flame and let the candle cool before re-lighting.
*  Always burn your candle on a flat surface away from children, pets, drafts and vents.
*  ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS burn your votive candles in an appropriate votive container.  They are NOT free-standing candles.  
*  If the flame is flickering, sparking or excessively smoking, extinguish flame, let cool, and trim your wick before re-lighting,  (SOME smoke coming from the wick is okay, especially the first few burns.)
*  It's time to say goodbye to your candle baby when there is 1/4-1/2 inch of wax remaing in the bottom of the vessel.
*  If your candle is struggling to get a full flame as it reaches the lower portion of the vessel, extinguish the flame, pour some of the wax out into a receptacle to discard, then re-light - the candle just needs some extra oxygen to get the flame high enough melt the wax from edge to edge again.  This is normal and nothing to worry about.