Candle tips & tricks
Safety first! Please follow these basic safety rules when enjoying your candle:
- Never leave a burning candle unattended
- Never burn a candle on or beside anything that could catch fire
- Always keep candles out of the reach of children and pets and keep away from drafts
- Never touch or move a candle once it’s burning
- If burning multiple candles, place at least 3 inches apart
These helpful tips and tricks will ensure you get the most from your Ootsie candle:
First burn
The first burn is the most important – make sure you light your candle for long enough for the entire surface to melt to the edges of the glass; this should take approximately 2 hours for a small candle and 3 hours for a large candle so please wait until you have at least this amount of time before burning for the first time. Allowing this proper first burn will create a memory ring for the wax and will help to ensure even subsequent burns.
Room Size
Keep room size in mind when burning candles; small candles work best in small rooms and large candles in larger rooms or rooms with high ceilings.
Avoid tunnelling
Tunnelling is the term used to describe when the wax in the centre of the candle burns deeper than the wax at the edges. To avoid tunnelling, as well as ensuring a proper first burn, it is best to avoid lighting your candle for short periods of time. After the first burn if you can ensure subsequent burns are between 1-2 hours for small candles and 2-3 hours for large candles you shouldn't have any problems with tunnelling at all. Please remember it is best not to burn a candle beyond 4 hours.
Trim the wick
Before relighting your candle, make sure to trim the wick to around ¼ inch long. Keeping the wick at the correct length will stop the candle from producing excess smoke and help the candle to burn evenly, giving a longer, cleaner burn which will enhance the scent throw and lengthen the life of your candle.
Invest in a wick trimmer
Of course, small household scissors will work but a wick trimmer really does make the process cleaner and easier by making a clean cut on the wick and recovering the debris at the same time.
Invest in a candle snuffer
Blowing out a candle rather than snuffing it can cause more smoke than necessary which will affect all the lovely scent in the room. Using a snuffer to extinguish the flame cuts down on smoking which preserves the scent for longer. It is also the safest way to extinguish a candle.
All good things must come to an end!
When ½ inch of wax remains in the bottom of the container its best to discontinue use to prevent overheating; without sufficient wax to burn there is a small chance of the flame stressing or cracking the glass, which could interfere with the last tip...
Repurpose your empty candle glass
Follow the method below to remove excess wax and prepare your glass to be re-used for flowers, plants, makeup brushes, bathroom accessories and more.
Hot Water Method for removing excess wax:
1. Place the container in a pot or bowl of hot water to liquify any remaining wax
2. Use a protective glove and tissue or cloth to remove the wax
3. Wash out the glass with hot soapy water
4. Repurpose as desired