June 02, 2020
Candle Etiquette
Candle Etiquette
Elegant and sophisticated, candles are the perfect finishing touch to any home's decor, not only for the glorious scent they throw around your room, but also for the cosy candlelight they give.
But what defines a luxury candle? “Luxury” is defined by craftsmanship and quality. Creating a luxury candle is a multi-faceted journey, the same as making of a complex fine perfume or beautiful skincare. Fragrance, wax, wick, and container all play a part in creating a luxury candle experience.
When you purchase a luxury candle you really want to get the most from the experience it will offer. We have all had those candles with the lopsided burn and sooty glass, which isn’t ideal when you are wanting the best from your candle and also for it to look beautiful in the room. After all a candle is a statement piece!
So here are some tips to get the absolute best from your luxury candle.
First Burn
When lighting your candle for the very first time, burn your candle until the whole surface of the wax has melted, right the way to the vessel. This will prevent tunnelling and ensure you get an even burn each time you light your candle. It may take up to 2-4 hours, but it is very much worth it as it will ensure your candle lasts longer.
Maximise Scent
Opening windows and doors will disperse scent and lessen the concentration. For maximum fragrance keep windows and doors closed and burn in desired space for 30 mins before entering. Draughts also decrease burn time, cause uneven burning and smoking.
Burn your candle for a maximum of 4 hours at a time
If you burn your candle for more than 4 hours you risk your candle jar getting too hot and potentially cracking the vessel. The smell in your home will already be amazing from our concentrated scents so do not over do it and save some indulgence of your HH candle for another time.
Trim your wicks
Another really important step in candle etiquette is to trim the wicks each time you relight your candle. This will help to prevent black smoke from appearing on the glass, Hawthorn houses clear glass vessels look beautiful and you most certainly want to keep them that way. After extinguishing the flame with a snuffer, centre and straighten the wick. Burning for too long can cause the wick to move, or slant. If you see a flaming wick come close to the vessel wall, extinguish the flame, and straighten the wick to prevent the vessel from cracking.
How to store candles
Always store your candles in a cool, dark, and dry place. Scented candles also look great stored under a glass cloche, which also protects from dust.
Do not burn all the way down
It is also really important candles are not burnt when there is 10mm of wax or less remaining in the jar, although it is tempting to continue burning your candle until the wax is gone, we strongly advise against this as the flame needs a solid base of wax to avoid overheating the glass jar which could result in cracking.
Extinguish your candle by snuffing
This helps reduce the smell of smoke after using your candle and helps prevent black smoke from appearing on the glass. This also prevents the risk of blowing hot wax over your surfaces! Why not purchase one of our stainless-steel lids from our accessories range to avoid any mishaps
How to clean candles
You can remove dust and fingerprints from a candle by gently rubbing the surface with a piece of nylon or a soft cloth. The cloth can be dry or slightly dampened with water. Keep your candle dust free will ensure it stays looking beautiful until your next relight.
Watch Tami's Tips Below:
