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Beeswax will naturally form a dusty coating over time called Bloom. Bloom, as it is referred to, rises to the surface of a candle when some of the low melting point components of the wax migrate to the surface of the candle. The colder the temperature is (in the environment), the bloom will appear faster, for example, at 32 degrees it will appear within 24 hours. The bloom is easily removed by wiping the candle with a soft cloth, or if there is a lot of detail in the candle, use a hair dryer for about 15 seconds, you can also run the candle under warm water, but not, too hot.
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Beeswax candles are naturally drip less and smokeless. Beeswax candles tend to have a longer burn time than candles made from other substances. Under certain conditions, even beeswax candles may be caused to drip. The most common is a draft blowing on the flame. All candles should be burned out of a draft. Drafts cut down on burn time.
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The candle wick in a candle is constantly feeding fuel (the wax) to the flame, and a pool of wax is created around it due to the heat. The size of this wax pool can vary due to wick size, ambient air temperature, thickness of candle, how long it has been burning and other variables.
While a taper will rarely leak on the sides, pillar candles need more attention. Some will burn forever, some need to be "hugged" (folding some of the wax along the edge in closer to the wick), and some can only be burned for a few hours or they may leak over the side causing a mess and impairing the looks of a decorative candle. Some decorative candles should only be burned for a short period of time since they are designed more for artistic reasons than to produce light for an extended period of time. Always use caution when burning candles to prevent fires!
All candles must have proper holders. Candles that are not held vertical and stable may burn on one side only or drip wax. All pillars should be in a container, to prevent wax damage.
Occasionally when extinguishing a candle, the wick will burn down slightly making it more difficult when you wish to re-light it. Scraping the wax slightly around the base of the wick (digging a small 1/4 inch hole) makes re-lighting the candle easier, if there is a problem.
More Tips:
- Burn your pillar candle one hour for every inch of its diameter the first time you light it. This will allow the pool of wax to extend to the outside rim and prevent your candle from forming a "Tunnel" in the center.
- Burning your candle this way will also set its memory. In doing so, each time you re-light the candle it will "remember" to burn out to the rim.
- One needs to trim the wick of any candle— canister candle, pillar, taper, tea light or votive—to one-quarter inch every time you light the candle. This will ensure clean, smoke-free burning. Be sure to remove any wick debris that has fallen into the candle.
- The most effective way to extinguish the flame of a candle is to use a candle snuffer. The snuffer helps prevent the wax from spraying and keeps the wick centered.
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