Tips, Care & Safety

By following these tips and care instructions, as well as the instructions included with some FBCC candles, you can achieve a "perfect burn" and enjoy exceptionally long burn times.

The illustration below outlines what you DO NOT want: tunneling and dripping, in comparison to what you DO want, that being: a "perfect burn".

 BURNING TIPS

ROUND OR SQUARE PILLARS

Always trim wick to 1/4”.  Pinch the wick off with your fingers, do this before each additional burn.  Keep the wick trimmed, straight and centered for an even smokeless burn.

For best results, the first burn is the most important, as it establishes the wax memory pool.  For every inch of diameter, burn for at least one hour.  This will bring the wax pool to it’s maximum size.  Wax has a memory and will return to the first pool size each time you light your candle.  If you only burn for an hour or so on your following burns it may appear to be tunneling but the next time you burn for the same amount of time, as first burn, the pool will open right up again.

If you want the candle to become a hurricane shell, when the wax pool is as close to the edge as you would like, snuff it out and let cool.  Your memory pool is now established.

Always keep the wax pool clear of any decoration, as they may be flammable.  Hint: I use the end of an old spoon to re-center wick and remove any debris, wick or decoration from wax pool. 

Always place candle on a heat resistant candle holder with a lip to hold dripping wax.

Never leave a burning candle unattended, not even for a few minutes.

Burn all candles with care and caution.  Keep out of reach of children.  Do not eat.

ALL CANDLES

Always use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle's flame, as blowing out a candle may cause the melted wax to splatter.

Keep burning candles away from drafts, as they may force the flame close to candle edge, which may cause the candle burn unevenly, drip, or smoke.

Avoid placing candles in direct sun or artificial light, as some candle dyes may fade and lose color.  Even your white candles may turn yellow with direct exposure over a small period of time. 

Please check all of your candles often.  This simple act takes but a few minutes and ensures the safety and well being of your living space.  Candles are fire and should be treated with a tremendous amount of respect!  Failure to carefully follow directions could result in a fire hazard, property damage, and/or personal injury.

TAPERS 

Store your tapers in a cool dark place.  Laying tapers flat will help to prevent them from warping.  

Are your dinner tapers burning too quickly?  If yes, prior to the next time you burn your tapers, place them in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for several hours prior to lighting.  This will help your tapers to burn more slowly and evenly. 

When you are entertaining and want to light quite a few tapers quickly, pre-trim the wicks to 1/4", light them prior to the event and then snuff them out.  This will make it easier to relight them with little effort and as quickly as possible.

VOTIVES

All votive sizes achieve the best burn times if they are fit snugly into a glass votive holder.  Votive wicks are designed to burn from the liquid wax pool.  So, the tighter the fit, the faster the pool forms and then the wick will burn the way it was designed to. 

We DO NOT recommend putting any water, not even a teaspoon, in the bottom of your votive holder.  We have seen this tip in quite a few areas and think it is a BAD ONE.  We have tested this method and it does not make a difference to the ease of removing the votive from it's holder.  In fact, by doing so, it ruined our test votives!  Also, and especially with good quality handmade votives, the wick is most often exposed at the bottom of the votive.  Water + Cotton Wick + Flame = a Burn-Proof Votive, which is not good at all!

CARE & REPAIR

When not in use, candles collect dust and scented candles can sometimes get a little sticky but these issues are not problem!  Take that old, well worn t-shirt you would not dare wear in public anymore and use it to polish your candles.  Pour a little salad oil on your newly acquired rag and gently rub the surface of the candle.  This will remove all traces of dirt and erase small scratches.  Take a non-oily part of your rag and wipe any excess oil from your candle and your candle will look new again!

Makeup sponges work great to clean the surface of glass container candles. Carefully wipe around the wick, as you DO NOT want to break it.  Do this a few times and your candle will be clean again!  

If you purchase a container candle with a lid, replace the lid after burning to keep dust out and, if scented, it will assist to retain the scent longer.

CANDLE ETIQUETTE  

Candles flickering at eye level can be annoying at a dining table.  When entertaining, make sure your candle flames are either well above or below the eye level of your guests.  You would not want to dampen the cross table conversation!

JUST FOR FUN

Do you think it is too hot to burn candles in the summer or are you waiting until the first chill of fall to enjoy candlelight again? 

Well, wait no more!  After cleaning out your fireplace for the summer, arrange your candles in the fireplace.  This is a wonderful way to enjoy the tranquility of candlelight on a pleasant summer's eve.  Best of all, the heat goes up the flu and out of your house.  You also do not have to worry about wax damaging the surface.  If you do have a wax spill in the fireplace, wait to remove it until the wax has hardened, as then it will chip off easily.

You just spent time preparing a savory dinner and start to light those lovely rose scented candles before the guests arrive...

Stop!  When serving a delicious meal, choose unscented candles for your dining table.  Your guests will appreciate the ambiance created by the candles and thank you for not detracting them from your savory dishes, as you may love the rose fragrance but your guests may not!

A perfect place for those scented candles is the bathroom!

The subtle scent of a candle works wonders as a bathroom refresher.  Light a candle before your guests arrive and put away those cans of heavily scented room deodorizers and unsightly plug-ins!

Dropped a candle and marred the surface? 

Try holding the candle approximately 1" above a flame and passing it back and forth.  With a little patience, and not holding the candle too close to the flame, you may be able to work any marks off of the surface or try taking an old pair of pantyhose and rub it back and forth on the surface of a marred candle.  This will buff out slight imperfections.

WAX REMOVAL

Do not panic over spilled wax! 

Depending on the type of surface and what color the spilled wax is, will determine the method of clean up.  If, after reading these tips below, you are still unsure, consult a professional cleaner. 

The party is over, it was a great success and now you are cleaning up and you find that candle wax has spilled or dripped on your carpet, hardwood floor or your favorite tablecloth!  You ask, now what do I do?  Well, here are some tips:

Carpets & Tablecloths

Take a very dull knife or wooden Popsicle or craft stick and gently scrape off as much of the cooled wax as possible. 

If the candle wax is white, lay a white paper towel over the wax. Then, with a clothes iron, set on low, press the warm iron over the paper towel.  The heat from the iron will melt the wax and the paper towel will then absorb the wax.  Keep repeating this process, until all the wax is absorbed.  Be careful to keep the iron moving, so you do not burn the carpet/tablecloth or set the paper towel on fire.  Use as low of a heat setting, as you possibly can.  One last thing, ONLY attempt this technique on an ironing board.

Coloured wax spills require careful judgment.  When heat is applied to the wax, the dye may "set" and you will have a permanent stain.  Please keep this in mind if you decide to try the above technique on coloured wax spill or drip.  

By all means, and for example, if you spent a fortune on your carpet and do not want to risk trying to remove it yourself, call a professional carpet cleaner or your carpet manufacturer for cleaning suggestions.

Hardwood Floors

Removing wax from hardwood floors can be a bit easier than from carpet.  You will want to remove the wax, as soon as possible, as candle dyes may stain.  So, the quicker the removal, the better!  

Set a heat gun or hair dryer on low, liquefy the wax and then wipe it up with a paper towel.  Heat guns can get very hot, so keep it moving over the wax, so you do not scorch the floor and please do be careful!  Using a hair dryer is a little trickier, as it blows more air but if you are prepared with your paper towel, you will not have a problem catching the wax. 

Again, if you have spent a fortune on your hardwood floors and are concerned about trying this yourself, consult a professional or your hardwood manufacturer.

Fabrics

Fabric can take a little more work when it comes to candle wax removal.  Again, do not panic and let the wax cool.  Take the back of a dull knife or Popsicle stick or craft stick and scrape as much off the wax as possible. 

If the wax contains a strong coloured dye, take your item to a professional dry cleaner and let them do what they do best. 

When the fabric is not your Armani suit, and you would like to take matters into your own hands, you can try pouring boiling water through the fabric.  The hot water will carry the wax and dye out of the fabric and not set the dye into the fabric like ironing would do so.  This can be a useful technique for tablecloths, as well.

Furniture

To remove wax from furniture surfaces, use your heat gun or blow dryer, and/or Goo Gone to remove wax.

The above technique usually does the trick but here is another technique that, perhaps, will work for you instead:

First, make sure the wax is as hard as possible and run an ice cube over the wax.  Then, taking a super dull knife, Popsicle stick or craft stick and remove as much of the wax, as possible, with being very careful as you get closer to the surface of the furniture.  Then, place a couple of drops of lighter or cleaning fluid on a clean piece of cheesecloth and wipe the last traces of candle wax off, while keeping to the stained area only.  Turn your cheesecloth often and until the wax and stain disappear.  You will want to follow-up with furniture polish or paste wax. If it is a really fine piece of furniture, ask an expert before attempting anything you are not sure about.

Goo Gone

Goo Gone can be found in most cleaning sections of many stores.  This product is fantastic for removing wax and has a pleasing citrus scent.  Goo Gone takes a little longer than heat to break down wax but can be used with a soft cloth on carpet, cement, clothing, floors, walls, glass and a variety of other surfaces.  There are also many surfaces you SHOULD NOT use it on, so please be sure to read the label and fine print before using.

Beeswax

Beeswax can be removed from counter tops and tables by using a little lemon oil and a soft cloth. The beeswax will mix with the lemon oil and will wipe right up.  Test lemon oil in a small, discrete area if you are unsure how it will affect the surface.

These are the candle wax removal tips that we have run across so far.  Keep in mind that the above tips and suggestions may not always work and that we at FBCC ARE NOT responsible for any damage caused by the use of our candles or wax removal methods.  If you have a serious situation, it is always best to contact a licensed professional.  

If you have a tip that is not listed here, we would love for you to share it with us. We are always looking for more tips, so please Contact Us.  We will be sure to share your tip and give you credit for it by letting our customers know who provided the tip.  

We hope these candle care tips will make your candle burning that much easier and more enjoyable.  Thank you for your patronage!  We wish you many happy burning hours.  ENJOY!!