CARING FOR YOUR SCENTED CANDLE
PENHALIGON'S PEARLS OF WISDOM TO LET ONE'S FLAME BURN BRIGHTER AND LONGER
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Published 442 days ago
min read
Familiar with the Golden Rule? “Treat others as one would want to be treated,” it decrees. Well, Penhaligon’s believes the principle applies to scented candles, too. For the manner in which our candles invigorate the senses and soothe the soul certainly warrants the same kind of love and attention. Especially when, in the case of Penhaligon’s own candle collection, they contain an oil-blended wax that effuses maximum scent throughout the burning. (Whisper it – lesser candles use wax moulds that are merely dipped in fragrance.)
So let us – ahem – wax lyrical about the art of candle care. It is by no means a laborious process, but rather a simple, meditative act that will help keep one’s candles in tip-top shape.
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A FLICK OF THE WICK
Before lighting a candle for the first time, find a perfect spot for it. Only then is it time to trim the wick. A quick snip approximately 1 cm above the wax will do. This prevents any ominous black smoke appearing.
LET THE FIRST BURN LINGER
It can be tempting to eke out enjoyment of one’s special candle in fleeting little bursts. But the first burn must be a long one. That means no extinguishing for at least two hours, or until the top has deliciously liquified. This way, you’ll evade so-called ‘tunnelling’ – a dreadful state of affairs where only the middle burns, leaving a candle memory ring of unmelted hard wax around the edge of the glass. Heaven forbid.
RECENTRE THE WICK
When it is time to snuff out the candle, recentre the wick first. (Just be sure not to burn any fingers.) In particular, recentring applies doubly (tripley?) to three-wick candles. Hold the wicks upright until they stand to attention.
THE JOY OF MORE WICK-TRIMMING
After snuffing, and once the wax has hardened, trim the wick to approximately 5 mm to avoid that black smoke again, and also to prevent it looking a little skew-whiff.
SOOT, BE GONE!
If one has been a little remiss in their wick-trimming duties, a candle may develop unsightly soot. Do not despair – all it takes is a damp paper towel or cloth after the wax has hardened to gently rub away dark spots. For stubborn areas, a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol or vinegar can help.
A CANDLE'S AFTERLIFE
Coming to the end of a scented candle is always a sad moment. Rejoice in their afterlife, and repurpose those glorious glass vessels to your heart’s desire. A plant pot, a pencil cup, tealight holder – the possibilities are immense. But how to clean a candle with waxy remnants? There are two schools of thought: freeze so the wax hardens and shrinks, then pops out (use a butter knife to help it along) or pour boiling water into the glass to melt the wax and wait for it to float to the top.
current price €72 200 g
As one can see, burning candles is both an art and science. Now go forth, and show those candles some love.
