Returning from college, work, or shopping to a home filled with fresh scent alleviates mood and spirits. The scented candles create a peaceful ambiance in your space. It affects your mental health and well-being.
The quality and number of candles you burn in your room depends on the dimensions and purpose you will use candles for. The size of the room can dramatically affect the scent throw. Read on to know how many candles you should burn for various purposes.
Scents influence our mood
Egyptians introduced the candles, and they have been used for lightening for millennia. With the electricity production and sparkling lights lit everywhere, lightening a candle opens a backdoor to the past. It helps reminisce about the olden days when candles were a daily life commodity.
When the sun sets, the candles were used to warm our homes and souls, radiating hope for a new day. However, candles these days are a luxury lightening. Instead of sparkling, glowing lights, people love the warm, golden light of candle for their special occasions.
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For a decade, the trend has shifted to scented candles. Inhaling your favorite scented candle when you return home impacts your mood significantly. Fresh lavender or linen scents relieve stress and relax nerves. Scientists claim that scents evoke certain emotions and moods through associative learning. They take us back to a beloved memory.
But, you cannot rely on a single candle for a thorough scent throw. The number of candles can vary depending upon the dimensions of the room and traffic through space.
Number of candles in a room
The best way to estimate the number of scented candles in your room is trial and error. Start by taking measurements of your room. It would help in selecting a candle with a longer burn time and a strong scent throw.
If you are also a fan of warm, golden glow, burn a candle in every 10 square feet of your space. This is because the burning of a candle is based on a simple process of combustion. The candle consumes oxygen in the process, produces carbon dioxide, light, and heat that melts the wax and regulates the process. One or two votive candles will suffice for a small room, whereas; for a large room, the number of candles can vary from 3 to 4.
Size of the Candle for a room
The size and number of the candle are equally important. Stuffing a corner of the room with candles is unwise for both health and aesthetics. As we discussed already, burn one candle per 10 square foot area. A small container candle of about 6 ounces works best for small spaces like the bathroom. In contrast, a medium-sized container is ideal for the bedroom.
Nature of the wax
And don’t compromise on the quality of wax if you’re going to burn a lot of candles. Prefer candles made from animal or plant-derived wax for this purpose. Beeswax is the best animal-origin wax, while soy wax and coconut wax are plant-derived.
These candles burn cleaner than the traditional paraffin wax candles; they do not produce soot. The soot of paraffin wax candles contains toxic substances, a few of which are carcinogenic. These candles are biodegradable and environment-friendly.
Also, they burn at cooler temperatures for long hours. This provides a gradual disbursement of light natural aroma. The burn time, in turn, depends on the size of the candle. For example, a small votive candle would burn for over 10 hours. This allows the thorough mixing of fragrances in the atmosphere.
Thus, you enjoy a warm glow that gives you a perfect ambiance for your special occasions, and that too, without compromising the health of your loved ones and the environment.
Candle placement affects scent throw
Before buying a candle, give a thought to the room’s purpose and complement it with seasonal fragrances. Be it fresh lavender or misty mint, your choice of candle scents plays a role in defining your taste and personality. But, where to place your perfect candle? Read on to find out.
For a fantastic scent throw, not only the number and quality of the candle are important. The position also adds a lot to the room. Though there’s no pet rule for placing the candle, you must identify a few spots in your home to ensure an aromatic space.
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If a candle is placed near the window, the air may or may not disburse the scent thoroughly. It can also extinguish or flare up the candle. Also, be careful about the flammable substances near the candle. It can catch fire if the wind flare-ups the flame or knock-off the candle. The candle has been a contributing factor for most house fire accidents.
The scent throw is also affected if you are burning two or more candles with different scents. The other scents might not mix up well.
Complementary scents for your room
The bedroom is a place to relax after a tiring day. Floral rose and fresh lavender scents are a good choice for bedrooms for relaxation. Your stress melts away with the soothing aroma of rose or lavender, making you fall into a slumber-filled sleep.
And who wouldn’t like a scented bathroom? In the bathroom, the scented candles can be placed either on the counter or the sides of the tub. Small votive candles with fresh citrus, ginger, mint, linen, and vanilla scents can set the mood for a long, relaxing bath. Also, having different scents for bedrooms and bathrooms positively affects the olfactory sense.
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Warms scented candles as sandalwood are perfect for wide spaces as living rooms. Pleasant scents in a living room create a perfect ambiance and uplift the mood of guests. You can have two distinct yet complementary scents placed at different corners of living rooms. And for the kitchen, you can select your favorite fruity scent or the herbal one to compliment your space.
With scented candles, you might run out of space, but you will never run out of options. Ensure the candle is not placed near a window or in the path of heavy traffic, i.e., door. And, also put it far from flammable stuff as drapes, papers, etc.
For a long shelf life of a scented candle
Trim the wick of your candle to one-quarter. And, let your candle burn for at least one hour. This would allow the candle wax to melt evenly. If you blow off your candle before the topmost layer has melted completely, it will result in the candle wax tunneling.
The scented candles made of natural wax burn gradually at cooler temperatures. Therefore, it is necessary to give them ample time to burn to the edges for an amazing scent throw.
However, don’t burn a candle for more than four hours at a time. This can pose a severe risk to flammable substances and life.
Don’t leave the candles unattended
Scented candles are good for alleviating mood and relaxing minds. But never leave your candle unattended. When leaving your house, sniff out your candle to avoid any accident. However, you can place your unlit candle close to curtains and drapes. This imparts fragrance to these clothes.
Scented candles in air-conditioned rooms
It is not advised to light a scented candle in an air-conditioned room. This is because the candles burn through combustion that consumes oxygen. A candle burned in an air-conditioned room will burn out the room’s oxygen that is harmful to human health. Instead, you use a fragrance diffuser for air-conditioned rooms.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, the definite number of scented candles in your (any) room depends on the dimensions of the space, the nature of the wax, and its burn time. The placement of the candles also plays an important role. Don’t choke your rooms with scented candles. This will overwhelm your senses and might have an annoying effect. Make a complementary pairing of one or more fragrances depending upon your choices and enjoy the calm, soothing atmosphere. After all, why else are we burning candles for?
