A candle light is a magnificent source of ambience and relaxation for the home. They also mark special occasions and festivities which makes them have special meanings in our lives. However , when it comes to light safety, it is important to remember that a candle light is a naked flame which should be treated carefully. A naked flame can quickly become a fire when it is not properly monitored. Candles are meant to enjoyed but it is important to follow some reasonable safety guidelines while burning them. There are right ways to burn candles but most people don’t know this.
Guidelines To Follow When Burning Candles
• Trim the Wick
Each time you want to burn your candle, start by trimming the wick to between 1/8 and 1/4 inches long. You can use scissors, wick trimmer or even nail clippers. Just make sure you get the wick trimmed. Trimmed wick will get you will get you a cleaner, brighter burn. Untrimmed wicks are a lot more likely to take on a weird shape that dulls and obscures the flame. Again, excessively long wicks are a top cause of those nasty smoky stains that end up on your glass jar candles. Trimming the wick keeps the flame in control and prevents those marks from forming in the first place.
• Buy Multi-Wick Candles
It might be quite hard to find enough time for a proper burn, that’s why it is advisable to buy candles with two or three wicks. More flame means more heat which leads to a quicker melt. On that note, be wary of extra-wide candles that only have one wick. If the candle surface has just one wick and a diameter of more than 3 to 4 inches, do not purchase it. One wick will never produce enough heat to melt it all the way across.
• Let The Wax Melt All Across
Once your candle is lit, don’t blow it out until the top layer of wax has melted all the way across. This might take several hours. So, don’t set out to burn a candle at all unless you’ve got some time to kill. Whenever you fail to achieve a full melt, you’re contributing to a process called tunneling. The wick starts to sink lower and lower like a tunnel is forming through the center of the candle. It takes time but if you melt the wax all the way across every time you burn, the surface of the candle will stay flat and the sides of the jar will stay clean, all the way down until the candle has melted.
• Keep The Flame Away From Moving Air
Make sure you keep your burning candles away from fans, air conditioners, open windows or heavily trafficked areas where there are a lot of movements going on. Moving air can disturb the flame, leading to even more unslightly black marks on the glass.
How To Use Candles Safely
• Never leave a candle unattended: Make sure you put out your candle when you’re leaving the room or the house.
• Never Sleep with a candle burning: Never go to sleep with a candle burning and do not leave a burning candle or oil’s burner in a child’s bedroom. To avoid accidents of any kind, keep candles and other naked flames out of the reach of children and pets.
• Always burn candles on an even surface: Candles should always be used on a staple, even and on a heat-resistant surface where they won’t be knocked over.
• Never burn candles near Flammable materials: Keep candles away from flammable materials- for example, curtains, furniture. clothes and hair. Be careful of burning candles near materials that could easily catch fire in your home like collection of books, magazines or papers.
• Never burn a candle all the way down: Never burn a candle all the way down to the bottom of the glass container. This will help ensure that the bottom of the candle get too hot and scold or damage the surface that it rests on.
• Discard damage candle glass containers: Never use a glass container if it’s cracked or chipped. A broken glass container means that your candle will not burn correctly and leaked candle wax could damage the surrounding surface of your home.
• Leave plenty of room between burning candles: Leave at least four inches (10cm) between two burning candles at any one in time. This will avoid the candles heating each other and therefore burning faster or causing them to burn ineffectively.
• Avoid moving candles when in use: Never move a burning candle. Glass containers can get very hot during use which scold and become dangerous. Also, don’t let anything fall into the hot wax like matchsticks.
• Use candle tools to put out candles: Use a snuffer or a spoon to put out burning candle. Not only will you avoid smoke and soot by doing so but it is safer than blowing them which can send sparks and hot wax flying.
• Double-check candles are completely extinguished: Candles that have been put out can go on shouldering and can become a fire hazard. It is best to ensure they’re completely put out before leaving a room.
Benefits of Burning Candles
• Creates Ambience
Candles transform an atmosphere through scent, changing the way people feel in space. Lighting a candle for mediation, a bath, a date or any other other intention is a beloved practice for setting an ambience anywhere.
• Calms The Mind
Floral and Herbal aromas like, geranium, lavender and peppermint have been proven to be useful for the treatment of various psychological and physiological disorders through the burning of aromatherapeutic candles.
• Improves Mood
Scented candles can induce calm and help to alleviate symptoms of stress, with the ability to lower cortisol. Certain candles are crafted specifically to activate chemicals in the brain, like serotonin and dopamine to support a positive mood.
