There are two types of candle buyer. The first can’t wait to get their new candle home, strike a match and luxuriate in the burn. The other prefers to take the candle home and put it pride of place to be admired as a piece of home décor.
We obviously encourage the burning of a candle as it has so many benefits. We thought we’d share some handy hints and tips on how to get maximum enjoyment and performance out of yours. You never know we may even manage to encourage the more cautious of you to light that wick!
How many hours burn time do you get from a candle
There are numerous factors that will affect a candle’s burn time including wax type, number of wicks, burning environment, shape and size of vessel. As an approximate guide smaller scented candles like a single wick votive will burn at a rate of 7 to 9 hours per ounce/28 grams of wax. Larger multi-wick scented candles will average 5 to 7 hours for each ounce.
Apsley and Company Tip – Here are a few examples of the burn times you can expect from Apsley Candles. Our smallest Apsley and Company duo wick 400g Luxury Candles Australia will burn for up to 60 hours. Our largest 4 wick 2.4kg Luxury Candle will burn for up to 240 hours. Our single wick 220g Crisp White Linen Abode Aroma crystal candles will give you around 30 hours of burning pleasure.
Okay, so that’s the burn time you can expect but how do you make sure you get the most out of your candle?
In this blog we will highlight the key principles of a safe and successful burn but you can find more detail on our website at https://www.apsleyaustralia.com/pages/candle-safety and who knows, we may even do a cheeky little Candle Safety article sometime soon.
First Things First
The first burn is the most important. Just like the human body’s muscle memory, soy wax has a burning memory. When lit a candle’s wax pool will only extend to the same diameter it reached on the previous burn. To avoid tunnelling, on that first burn ensure you light all the wicks and allow the wax pool to reach the edges of the container to enable an even burn when next lighting it. If you don’t do this the candle will tunnel and you will be left with unused wax around the circumference of the vessel, shortening the life of your candle.
The general rule from candle suppliers is to burn a candle for at least one hour per inch of the container's diameter (please note, tea lights are the exception to this rule). Don’t burn scented candles for less than one hour or more than three hours at a time and do not let the flames come into contact with the side of the glass.
Apsley and Company Tip – If you want to enjoy candlelight late into the evening, keep a stockpile of candles and rotate burning them during the night. You could mix it up and light different fragrances at different times or have a stash of your #1 fragrance to create a signature scented space. Helen, our Creative Director, does this with her personal favourite, the woody scent of Kaliningrad from our Luxury Candle Collection
A Candle’s Psyche
Just like us humans, a candle will perform better when it is feeling centred and in a stable, calm environment.
Centred – The candle performs better when the wick is centred. Once a candle has cooled down after a burn, gently coax the wick back into the centre of the candle. Wicks can move in the molten wax over time and if they get too close to the edge the vessel can overheat and crack. Plus if the candle wick is centred it is also straight allowing for a longer burn.
Apsley and Company Tip – We provide a luxurious matt black stainless steel Wick Dipper in our Candle Accessory Set . This can be used to gently reposition and straighten the wick
Stability - The scented candle needs to be on a solid surface that is non-flammable and heat resistant. It is also important not to put a hot candle on a cool surface like glass or marble – the heat could cause them to crack.
Apsley and Company Tip – For added safety and to protect your home furnishings, place candles on coasters or plates and in hurricanes or lanterns. Our Abode Aroma Cybus collection includes an elegant crystal presentation tray which would be perfect for this
Calm – The scented candles will last longer, burn cleaner and have a better fragrance throw if it’s not in a draughty area. Air currents can cause candles to burn unevenly or produce excessive smoke or soot. Keep them away from open windows, fans, air ducts. It’s also advisable to avoid any heat sources like radiators and fire hearths.
Apsley and Company Tip – If you really can’t avoid drafts or want to burn the candle outside, it could be placed in a hurricane or lantern to protect the flame
Keep it Short
A wick should be kept at a length of between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch. If it’s too tall the flame will grow too large causing it to flicker or smoke and the wick to mushroom, soot and leave black marks on the glass. It’s also a safety hazard.
Apsley and Company Tip – Our curated Candle Accessory Set includes a black stainless steel wick trimmer. You can use scissors but be warned, it does get tricky once the candle has burned down. Whatever you use, make sure you trim the wick before every burn and only trim it when the wax is solid! Don’t let any cuttings fall into the wax
Keep it Clean
Pesky dust gets everywhere and it will form on the surface of your candle. You may also find small pieces of debris have fallen onto the wax during a burn. Be sure to wipe it clean before lighting.
Apsley and Company Tip – Once the candle is cooled and solidified, turn it upside down and remove the unwanted fragments with a tissue, sponge or towel
Lights Out
Putting a candle out is as simple as one big blow and it’s out, right? Wrong….
Yes, you can do this but you risk creating a smoke cloud and also hot wax splattering out of the vessel.
The candle flame needs to be extinguished by exhausting the carbon and hydrogen supply. You can do this by placing a candle snuffer, glass lid or small glass over the flame until it goes out. Make sure there are no burning embers or signs of smoke before leaving the candle.
Apsley and Company Tip – We have included a Candle Snuffer in our Candle Accessory Set which is perfect for hard-to-reach wicks, tall candles, candle groups and tapered candles. It will reduce the risk of any wax splatter!
Be SunSmart
Like our skin, candle wax is sensitive to the sun. If positioned in direct sunlight for long periods, the wax may discolour. Some fragrances in scented candles are more prone to this than others, for example vanilla-based scents will turn yellow. Whilst it doesn’t affect the burn or smell it will affect the look of the candle and you may not want to have it out on display which would be a real shame.
Apsley and Company Tip – Always store your candles in a cool, dry and dark place. Our scented candles are enclosed in a gift box which would be perfect for keeping your candle when it’s not in use
The Last Ounce
A candle’s life is over once you are down to the last ¼ inch of wax. This is for safety reasons, if you do burn it beyond this point you risk the candle jar shattering from the heat.
Apsley and Company Tip - Okay so you now have an annoying chunk of unused wax at the bottom of your glass - don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be thrown away – scoop it out, remove the wick and use it in a wax burner. If it’s difficult to remove, place the candle holder in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, with the help of a spoon the remaining wax should just pop out
Time For A Change?
So sadly the candle’s life is now officially over, and that beautiful vessel stands empty but don’t stress it can be used in so many ways!!! You could buy a candle refill, use it as a vase or a storage jar for life’s essentials….
For more information about cleaning and reusing your vessels take a look at our blog https://www.apsleyaustralia.com/blogs/posts/earth-day-2022-how-can-we-help
Apsley and Company Tip – In our bevelled Crystal Candles collection we have created a range of Abode Aroma scented pillar candle refills to replace the used candle, meaning your beautiful crystal holder will be as good as new and ready to go again!
Burn Baby Burn
With any luck you now feel confident about how to get the maximum enjoyment and life out of your scented candles. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the magical ambience created by the flickering candlelight and beautiful aromas. You never know, our handy hints might even encourage our lovely ‘candles are for décor only’ customers to light the wick - we hope, so because we know you will love it!
Never leave a lit candles unattended
Whilst we encourage you to not hold back and to light your scented candles we ask that you ensure you do it safely. And remember, if in doubt, you can refer to our candle safety guidelines at https://www.apsleyaustralia.com/pages/candle-safety
Team Apsley xxx