Stacks Of Wax - Candle Catalogue

Candle burning suggestions

* never leave burning candles unattended and always burn candles in heat and fire resistant holders.

* trim candle wick if the candle flame smokes or flickers. Generally a wick length of 1cm will give a good clean burn and decent flame size.

* burn thick candles for at least 2 hours each time to generate a wide wax pool. This will help prevent the wick from burning deep into the candle and is especially important the first time you burn the candle.

* ensure that the wick is not submerged in wax when extinguishing the candle. It is best to keep the wick as vertical as possible as the candle burns to help ensure that the candle burns evenly. This can be done by pushing it with a metal object while the candle burns.

* avoid burning candles in draughty locations or near curtains and bedding. If burning candles in draughty conditions, rotating them occasionally as they burn will help promote even burning.

* tealight candles in aluminium shells become extremely hot when nearing the end of the wax, and the wax can flare (burn without a wick). This is because there is less wax for the heat to be dissipated into so it gets hotter. For this reason never touch a burning tealight candle. Blow them out and let them cool before handling. Always burn tealights in holders. It is a good idea to put a coin under them to help absorb the heat.

* votive candles are designed to turn too liquid as they burn. As such they need to be burnt in an appropriate cup holder.

* most candles will fade over time as the dyes used in them are somewhat unstable. Sunlight in particular will fade candles. Thin or long candles are also prone to bending in warm weather so it is advisable to store these candles on flat surfaces in cool conditions.

Other good advice including wax cleaning and removal tips

* most coloured candles contain oil soluble dye. It is possible for this dye to leach from the candle into surfaces on which they are placed including plastic and wooden furniture. As such ensure that candles placed on furniture are on holders or are plain white to avoid staining.

* wax can be removed from clothing by washing in hot water. Firstly, remove any excess wax with a sharp knife and then wash in very hot water which liquefies the wax and lifts it from the fabric. If this fails you can also try boiling a jug of water and carefully pouring it in a reverse direction through the wax stain to lift it.

* in the case of a wax stain on carpet, the best method of removal is to soften the wax with boiling water and use a paper towel to lift the soft wax from the pile. This method works best because the water naturally repels the wax to the surface of the carpet. The water in the carpet is left to naturally dry.

* we do not recommend that you use a hot iron and paper as this tends to melt the wax into the fibres. We find boiling water and paper towel method the best.