How to Burn Candles Safely
Scented candles are one of the most popular methods of fragrancing and it’s easy to see why once you’ve experienced the beautiful cosy ambience they bring to the home, with their glowing light and fragrant scents.
As they use a flame to melt the wax and release their fragrance, candles do need some more care and attention than other home fragrancing methods. An open flame of any kind can be dangerous without proper care, but with a little common sense and awareness, burning candles carries no more risk than other everyday activities that involve a flame, like cooking.
As with all our products, we’re conscious of making sure all our customers know how to use our candles safely, and in a way which will give them the best burn possible. You’ll notice that your A&B candle comes with a safety warning label, either attached to the candle vessel itself or on the outer packaging, or both. Before you light any candles, read through and follow the manufacturer’s advice.
Alongside written guidance, candle safety labels feature easy-to-understand pictograms offering warnings and advice. Below are the pictograms we use on our candles, along with an explanation of what they mean and what can happen if you ignore the advice.
Read on for our dos and don’ts of burning candles, from basic safety to making sure you get the most out of your candle.
Don't burn candles within reach of children or animals
You should always keep your burning candles (and anything else that involves an open flame!) away from little hands and paws to prevent them from hurting themselves if they touch the flame or causing a fire if they knock over the candle.
Do stay with your candle while it burns
Like any open flame, you should keep an eye on burning candles at all times while they are alight in case they need to be extinguished quickly. This is one of the most important rules of candle safety as it’s estimated that up to five house fires each day are caused by unattended candles. For this reason, only light a candle when you plan to stay in the same room for a while, like relaxing with a good book or binge watching TV. Similarly, don’t leave your candles burning while you fall asleep and make sure to extinguish any candles if you start feeling sleepy.
If you’re a frequent napper or often moving between rooms, another home fragrancing method may suit you better – a flameless reed diffuser can easily be left unattended and a Fragrance Lamp needs only half an hour to scent a room.
Don't place near a window or draft
A breeze can cause a candle flame to blow around and behave dangerously, so keep your candles away from windows and drafts. Even if your window is closed, you should still keep your candles away, as curtains can be set alight by a candle left too close.
Do trim the wick to 5mm before each use
This is a top tip to help you get a better burn from your candles. Trimming the wick creates a smaller flame which will help the candle burn slower and maximise your burn time. It also helpfully cuts down on the soot and smoke produced while burning.
Don't leave matches or debris in the candle
Make sure the surface of your candle is clear before and after you light it as debris like matches or wick trimmings can cause a dangerous secondary ignition.
Do use a candle snuffer rather than blowing out
Blowing your candle out can cause wax splatter or blow the wick off-centre, resulting in an uneven burn next time you light your candle. A candle snuffer extinguishes the flame from above by cutting off its oxygen supply, preserving the burning quality of your candle over time.
Don't place in direct sunlight or near another heat source, including within 10cm of another candle
The warmth of direct sunlight, especially on a hot day, a nearby fireplace or another candle will cause the candle’s vessel to become too hot. As the candle’s flame is also heating the vessel while burning, the combination of heat from the flame and another heat source may overheat the vessel and cause it to shatter and start a fire.
Do place on a stable, heatproof surface or mat
A heatproof mat or surface will be protected against the heat of a burning candle and help avoid any marks or damage to your furniture.
Don't burn your candle all the way down
It’s a common misconception that you should burn candles all the way to the bottom and use up all the wax. In fact, this is another way to make your candle’s vessel dangerously hot and at risk of shattering. When there’s only 5mm of wax left, extinguish the flame.
Do extinguish if your candle is burning with a large or high flame
A large flame is more dangerous and unpredictable than a smaller, more controlled flame. If you notice your candle’s flame is unusually high, extinguish the flame, let the candle cool and trim the wick before lighting again.
Don't touch or move a lit candle
It’s best to avoid touching candles while they’re alight as the jar can get painfully hot. Don’t move or touch a candle while it’s alight to avoid the risk of knocking or dropping the lit candle and starting a fire, or spilling hot wax and burning yourself or causing damage to furniture.
