Candle Advice

Looking After Your ‘Candle In A Tin’

• Place your candle on some form of heat resistant coaster.
• Always trim the wick every time before lighting to between 2-3mm. You are looking for a small flame.
• If the flame becomes long and/or flickers creating ‘soot & smoke’ then the wick has become too long. Extinguish the flame (by replacing the lid) immediately. Allow the wax to solidify (about 20 – 30 minutes) and trim the wick back to 2 millimetres.
• Before extinguishing your candle always ensure that the wick is upright and central.
• Never blow the candle out! Just replace the lid and let the lack of oxygen extinguish the flame. This way prevents any nasty soot or smoke! Alternatively use a purpose made snuffer.
• To ensure a nice even burn you should burn your candle for a minimum of 3 – 4 hours or until most of the candle surface has turned to molten wax.
• Do not burn a candle for more than 4 hours at any time.
• Burn candle within sight.
• Keep away from drafts, children, pets or flammable materials.
• Burn candle on a level, heat resistant surface.
• Stop using your candle when there is only 1cm of wax left in the bottom of the tin.
• Keep wax free from debris.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended.

Candle Safety

• Always put candles on a heat resistant surface. Be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic. TVs are not fire-resistant objects.
• Put them in a proper holder. Candles need to be held firmly upright by the holder so they won’t fall over. The holder needs to be stable too, so it won’t fall over either.
• Position them away from curtains. Don’t put candles near curtains or other fabrics – or furniture. And keep them out of draughts.
• Don’t put them under shelves. It’s easy to forget that there’s a lot of heat above a burning candle. If you put it under a shelf or other surface it can burn the surface. Make sure there’s at least three feet (one metre) between a candle and any surface above it.
• Keep clothes and hair away. If there’s any chance you could lean across a candle and forget it’s there, put it somewhere else. You don’t want to set fire to your clothes or your hair.
• Keep children and pets away. Candles should be out of reach of children and pets.
• Keep candles apart. Leave at least four inches (10cm) between two burning candles.
• Take care with votive or scented candles. These kinds of candles turn to liquid to release their fragrance, so put them in a glass or metal holder.
• Don’t move them when they’re burning. Extinguish candles before moving them. Also, don’t let anything fall into the hot wax like match sticks.
• Don’t leave them burning. Extinguish candles before you leave a room. Never go to sleep with a candle still burning. And never leave a burning candle
• in a child’s bedroom.
• Use a snuffer or a spoon to put them out. It’s safer than blowing them, which can send sparks and hot wax flying.
• Double-check they’re out. Candles that have been put out can go on smouldering and start a fire. Make sure they’re completely out

(as advised by The Fire Service – http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/candles)