Candles are a fantastic way to add ambience and warmth to your home. They can also make a space more welcoming and relaxing, especially if you have guests.
Candles are also useful as nightlights in hallways or bathrooms where you might not want to leave the bathroom light on all night. But if you're not careful, it's easy for things to go wrong with candles.
Candles can be a fire hazard when they're not used correctly so here are some tips on how to safely burn your candles:
Do not leave a burning candle unattended
We know that it can be tempting to leave a candle burning while you go to sleep or run an errand. They are not 100% reliable and may go out or tip over any time.
Never leave the flame unattended for extended periods (over 5 minutes). Always ensure someone else is in the room with you, and keep an eye on your candle now and then.
Never leave a burning candle overnight or during a power outage. If something happens, and your house catches fire because of an unattended candle, it will be much more devastating without any electricity around.
Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire
It's important to keep candles away from anything that can catch fire. Always place candles on heat-resistant surfaces that won't catch fire if they get too hot (like metal or ceramic bowls).
Avoid putting them on wood surfaces or anything else flammable. You'll also want to avoid burning them directly on or near curtains, clothes, paper, books and other flammable items.
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
Keep pets and children away from candles.
Pets have been known to knock down lit candles which can cause fires if they land on anything flammable such as carpeting or bedding material.
On the other hand, small children may try playing with them by lighting their own little "fires."Ensure children and pets cannot reach the candle by keeping it on a high table or shelf when burning it.
Trim wick each time before burning.
A wick that is too long can cause a fire to burn too quickly, leading to smoke and soot buildup on your walls or ceiling.
A wick that is too short might not burn well enough, resulting in uneven burning or smoking up your house without producing any light.
An easy way to prevent fire risk is by keeping your wick trimmed. As a general rule, you should trim your wick every time before you light a candle and after it has been extinguished. If the wick becomes too long, trim it down to 1/4 inch before lighting again.
Use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use
Candleholders are made to prevent the flame from tipping over, burning too hot, and dripping wax onto your table or furniture.
For example, if you place a candle in a standard vase or glass and it tips over while burning, you could likely end up with a fire hazard in your hands.
Extinguish a candle if it repeatedly smokes, flickers or the flame becomes too high.
Do not blow into the flame; use a snuffler to put out the candle. Allow the wax pool to cool before cleaning up any wax drippings with a paper towel.
Try dabbing them with a dry towel when dealing with wax stains on clothing.
Candle safety is a huge topic, and it's important to consider all the different aspects of burning candles safely.
We hope that this has been a helpful guide for you to keep your candles safe and enjoyable. If there is anything else we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to contact us on our website here.