Before Lighting:
- Before burning, always trim the wick to ¼ inch. You can use a wick trimmer, nail clippers, or scissors. Long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping or flaring.
- Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
- Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. It should be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
Burn candles in a well-ventilated room:
- Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, soot and excessive dripping.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on burn time and proper use. In general, it is recommended that candles do not burn for longer than four hours and cool for at least two hours before relighting.
- When lighting a candle, use long matches or a long-reach lighter. Keep your hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
- 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.
- 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 then it can burn the surface. Make sure there’s at least three feet (one metre) between a candle and any surface above it.
- 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
While Burning:
- Never leave a candle unattended.
- Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
- Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
- Never touch or move a candle while it is burning or while the wax is liquefied.
- Do not burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 1/2 inch remains in the container or 2 inches if using a pillar candle.
- Place burning candles at least four inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they do not melt one another or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
- Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
- Never use a candle as a night light or while you may fall asleep.
- Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Torches and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fuelling equipment, such as a lantern or petrol heater or generator.
When Extinguishing a Candle:
- Use a candle snuffer or a spoon to extinguish a candle. It is the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering. Use a snuffer to put them out. It’s safer than blowing them, which can send sparks and hot wax flying
- Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
- Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
- Do not touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled.
- Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.