WHEN CANDLES GO BAD

Hopefully this hasn’t happened to you; but it has happened to some of us….You get home (or have received) a candle and there becomes problems with your candle.  Major let down, right?  Of course!  The fact is, someone’s hard earned money went in to purchase this candle and it is a waste to throw it out or not burn it.  Help is on the way!

Let’s discover some candle issues with resolutions.

FROSTING:  You open a candle, whether your candle is colored or in its natural state of color, you notice white, glistening areas or spots in the wax on your candle.  This is what chandlers (official term for candle makers…I prefer the term “chandelier”) call “frosting”.  The scoop on frosting:  This will in no way affect the performance of your candle.  In fact, this is a sign of high-quality soy candle.  High-quality soy is always attempting to revert to its natural state by separating itself from additives.  The frosting you see on your candle is simply fragrance oil (additive).  After lighting your candle, the soy and fragrance oil will more than likely blend again.  However!  If you see a wet, oily pool of fragrance oil sitting in the top of your candle – do not burn your candle!  Fragrance oil on its own is highly flammable.  Take a paper towel and blot the fragrance oil, absorbing as much as possible.  If there is no more fragrance oil sitting at the top the candle you may use your candle.  If fragrance oil continues to pool in your candle, I would suggest using the wax in a wax warmer, to be safe.

WET SPOTS:  What is a wet spot in a candle?  There aren’t actually wet spots in candles; it just appears that way.  If your candle jar is clear, it appears as if there is a hole or gap without wax or a wet spot.  This is simply where the wax has pulled away from the jar.  There is no less wax in this candle.  This will in no way affect the function of your candle.  Even candles that cost hundreds of dollars (yes, there are some of those), will at times pull away from the vessel.  This is not a defect in the candle, it is simply a fact of working with soy wax.  Continue to burn these as any other candle.

TUNNELLING:  Tunnelling is when your candle is burning straight down thru the candle wax and not burning all the way to the edges of the candle jar.  This is a frustrating occurrence, as you are not receiving all of the benefits from your candle.  This can occur from the candle maker not using a large enough wick for the heat to reach the wax on the edges of the candle, or not doing a proper first burn with the candle.  If the tunnelling isn’t too far gone, there is a resolution – sort of-.  If the wick is too small, the tunnelling will continue.  If you want to attempt to repair the tunnelling – read carefully:

• Burn your candle long enough so the wick is no longer ¼” tall.
• Extinguish the candle.
• Let the candle cool down so the wax has almost returned to its hardened state, but still soft and cool enough to touch.
• Gently rub the unmelted wax down the edge of the jar toward the melted wax.
• DON’T PUSH TOO MUCH WAX DOWN AT A TIME, AS WHEN THIS WAX MELTS, IT MAY COVER YOUR WICK AND WON’T LIGHT ON SUBSEQUENT BURNS.
• This process may need to be repeated multiple times.

FLOATING WICKS:  When candles are made, the jar is wicked…Meaning:  a wick is placed in a metal holder and these are secured to the vessel.  Wicks are either hot glued in, or placed with a sticky substance.  As your candle burns down, the wick may become unattached from the bottom of the jar, thus become floating.  One of the many reasons candles shouldn’t be burned when there is less than ¼” wax at the bottom.  If a wick begins to float (no longer attached to the bottom of the vessel), this candle should be extinguished.  A floating wick is a huge fire hazard!  Do not use this candle! 

SMOKING:  Have you ever had a burning candle emtting black smoke?  I hope not!  This is a messy situation and can stain your ceilings and walls. There are several reasons for your wick to emit smoke and soot.

Try the following:

• Make sure candle is not in a drafty spot – near windows, vents, or other drafts.
• Extinguish the candle and wait for the candle to cool. Once the candle has cooled, trim wick to approximately ¼”, and relight candle.
• Burning candles too long can cause candles to emit soot. Extinguish candle, let candle rest for minimum of two hours.
• Keep the wax clean. When trimming the wick prior to burning, make sure the clippings don’t get in to the wax.  If they do, remove them immediately.
• Soot may accumulate on the inside of your jar. When the candle is not hot, take a dry paper towel and wipe out the inside of the jar.

These are the most common candle issues.  If you are having any other issues with candles, please feel free to email Cyclone Candle Company at cyclonecandleco@outlook.com and we will be happy to assist you.

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HAPPY BURNING!