CANDLE CARE 101
Our goal is for you to have a wonderful experience and perhaps illicit a beauty memory with
Rural Roots Bliss + Gifts Candles. To make sure you get the most out of our candles we have created a Rural Roots Bliss + Gifts Candle 101!
First things first. Read the Candle 101 in its entirety. That way you will be ready to apply this knowledge! We have completed extensive testing on the wicks and wax performances to consider all possibilities of failures. Our candles are designed to provide the best outcome for you. It is up to you to follow proper candle care for your specific candle. We are not responsible for failures due to improper lighting/burning and poor candle care.
Trim the wick:
Our cotton paper wick is a beautiful slow burner. To trim your wick/wicks you can use a wick trimmer, nail trimmers or a pair of scissors, trim your wick to 3/8"-1/2" (1-1.5 cm) for your initial burn. If you trim it too short your candle will not have enough space to pull up the wax to fuel the flame and it will tunnel burning the wick rather than the wax. The melt pool will not expand as it should. Trim to about 1/4" before lighting your candle every time. This is the optimal height for ensuring an even burn. In addition, trimming your wick will help it stay centered in the candle, preventing an uneven melt and minimizing the risk of cracking the glass. Trim the wick each time you are going to light it! A wick trimmer is our favourite tool as it is simple to use and cuts smoothly across the wick. Check out our Candle Care Kit! It has everything you need to take great care of your candles!
Melt Pool
Did you know that a candle has a memory?
The way in which you first light and burn your soy candle sets the way your candle will continue to burn. The first burn is the most important step in getting full enjoyment from your soy candle! The key is to burn your candle until you create a melt pool. This is when the melted soy wax spans to the edge of the glass holder. If you do not let the soy wax burn to the edge it will create a memory ring wherever it stopped burning. The candle will never burn to the edges and you will end up burning a tunnel down the center of your candle. Our cotton/paper wicks are designed to burn low and slow. We have tried and tested all of our candles, they are made to burn a specific way and will complete a melt pool. We are not responsible for poor burning habits that damage the candle. We calculate 1 hour per inch of jarred candles to reach the sides of the jar, depending on many factors it may take longer. Follow all candle safety measures.
Make sure you have time to enjoy your candle
Before you light your candle consider how much time you have to enjoy the candle to ensure you will create the proper melt pool. The length of burn time to get to the melt pool stage depends on the size of the candle. We have found that the diameter of the candle glass jar will gauge the amount of time required to achieve the melt pool. For instance, the average 3 inch candle takes about 3 hours to reach a full melt pool. Our single wicked 12 oz candles take 4-6 hours! You must give the candle time to burn. It is easy to spot when a candle is snuffed too soon. Take your time and heed candle safety.
Don’t burn it too long
We test all of our candles and they can burn a long time, but you must keep watch as the glass can get very hot! If the jar gets too hot it can crack or ruin the surface you have the candle set on! Always keep safety in mind with your candle. Never burn your candle right down to the bottom. The heat on the bottom of the glass jar may be too intense and cause breakage.
Burn Time
Burn time is not a scientific measure. It was created by the large candle manufacturers and is not based on science. The candle is weighed before burning, burns an hour then is weighed again. The difference in this finding is then multiplied by the number of ounces. Candle burn time has many factors that alter burn times, drafts, humidity, oils in the candle, the height you allow the flame to burn and many others. Never let your candle burn in a full liquid state. This causes too much heat and you are wasting the wax fuel. The wax will burn super fast ! Multiple wicks means more heat and less time to melt. Always use common sense and safety when burning candles.
Watch the botanicals
Some of our candles are topped with botanicals. Botanicals can ignite so its best to watch your candle. If the botanicals ignite, a flame that is too large for the candle may occur. Keep candle safety in mind when burning this type of candle. Remove the botanicals.
How to extinguish a candle
Candle wax and water do not mix! Never use water to put out a candle. The wax will float on top of the water, as will the fire. Never blow out a candle this not only introduces debris soot into the wax that will make it unslightly, but it also risk blowing hot wax in the surrounding areas and may burn you! Snuff it out with a snuff tool, wax dipper or simply use the candle lid or another item to stop oxygen from feeding the flame. As always use caution with your candle!
Keep your candle away from...
A draft is your candle’s worst enemy. Keep your candle away from ceiling fans, high traffic areas, and vents. Aside from being a safety issue, a moving flame can also cause uneven burning and black soot around the jar. Next, you want to find the perfect surface for burning. The ideal surface is even, heat safe, and out of reach of pets, children and fabrics.
Essential Oil Candles
Essential oil blends are not as strong scent as a fragrance oils. The essential oils need to heat up to have a good hot throw. We create scents that are enjoyable, not overpowering.
All of our unique scent blends are created in studio!
Common safety sense
Extinguish a candle if it repeatedly smokes, flickers, or the flame is too high. Trim the wick if the flame is too high or if it gets smoky or begins to mushroom. If this happens, it’s a good indication that the wick was trimmed too long.
My candle is misbehaving!
When a candle starts to burn down the center it is called tunneling. Any candle regardless of quality and cost can tunnel. So much good wax is wasted as it clings to the side of the jar and then at some point the flame just won’t stay lit. All is not lost! It can be fixed! Warm the top of the candle with a heat gun or hair dryer, remove the excess wax by pouring it out. Even out the wax with a hair dryer or heat gun. We prefer a heat gun, hair dryers tend to spray the wax around! Yuck! We find that if the wax is still warm scooping out the excess wax to just below the wick works great! Then melt the wax in the jar straight across, be sure to fill the hole that has tunnelled. Let it set for 24 hours before relighting. Another cool tip that is fun and very science based, is to wrap the top of the candle with tin foil, light your candle and the flame will burn hotter and brighter, melting the wax to the edge. Trim the wick and enjoy your newly salvaged candle!
It is so satisfying when you are able to save a candle!
What happens if the wick starts to migrate or float off to the side? When the candle wax is melted adjust the wick to the center of the candle.
A wick that floats and touches the glass jar is sure to crack or break the jar or the wax will not melt evenly.
Soot on the glass
Keeping your wicks trimmed and your candles free of debris is the best way to avoid soot and smoke. This is incredibly easy to clean!
Make sure the wick is cool. Use a paper towel and some coconut oil to wipe it clean. Make sure the wax has cooled first! Voila! Usually this soot is created when your wick becomes too long, or you burn your candle for far too long.
Recycle the jar
All of our candle jars are made of glass. You can easily clean out the jars to use them for storing various items. Our lidded candle jars are especially great in the pantry! So how do you get the glass jars clean without playing around with melted wax? Easy! Place the candle jar in the freezer for a few hours. For our new bamboo lidded just turn them upside down on a paper towel and give it a light tap on the counter and it will pop right out. For the metal lidded jar, because there is a small lip you may have to break the wax with a spoon or knife to help it out. Next use hot, soapy water to remove the leftover wax, pop out the wick tab. The labels are easy to remove. Just wet them down and add hot water to the jar. They peel off quite easily. You can then wash the jar by hand or place it in the dishwasher. Another great option is placing the candle jar in a low oven until all the wax melts, pouring it out and popping it into the dishwasher! Don't forget we have Candle Refills and Drop ins available so you can pick a new scent every time or stock up on your favourite!