I would like to tell you there are no wrong ways to burn a beeswax candle. I could tell you, “It’s so easy – just go buy a beeswax candle and light it and it will burn beautifully by itself.” I would love to tell you these things, but I would not be telling the truth.
Here is a list of ‘wrong’ ways to select and burn a beeswax candle
Assume all beeswax candles are created equally. We aren’t all great cooks. Some cooks are better than others and like cooks, why would you think all candle makers make equally good candles? Like good cooking good beeswax candles require good ingredients, for us that means the best beeswax from Western Canada. Then it needs to be well filtered to make a clean burning beeswax candle. It needs the right sized wick that has been tested and retested for burning consistency. To find out more I would suggest you read Quality Does Not come Out of Chaos.
Just go buy the smallest or cheapest beeswax candle you can find. You will be disappointed if you don’t look for the beeswax candle that is going to burn ‘right’ for how you like to burn candles. If you like to burn candles just a few minutes for dinner or a power outage you are best off with a candlestick. If you plan on burning your candle for a long time then consider a votive, a tealight or pillar. This is important and here is recommended reading, Avoid Buying the Wrong Beeswax Candle.
I read somewhere that all candle wicks should be trimmed to a ¼ inch so I always do that. Oh I wish candle companies and websites that talk about candle safety would stop saying that. Again it all depends on the candle. Beeswax pillars should always have their wicks trimmed to ¼ inch but not any of the candlesticks. Leave the wick on a candlestick to a ½ inch. If you trim a candlestick wick too much the flame does not get hot enough to actually consume the wax as it melts. So guess what happens? The wax pool overflows and spills down the side of the candle. If it drips enough it can pour onto the tablecloth or the piano or whatever you happened to be burning the candlestick on unless the candle holder is big enough to catch it all. For more info on candle care, click on pillars or candlesticks.
Pretty much any candleholder will do, right? For some candles it’s as important that you have the right candleholder as it is that you have the right candle. If you are burning pillars a good heat proof plate will do. Votive candles need very specific holders to burn correctly. Check out this article on suitable candle holders for the different candles.
Just light that candle and walk away. It’s all good. If you really believe this I want you to turn on the light switch and go with electric lights. Seriously. NEVER LEAVE A BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED. Beeswax candles (all candles) need care. They are not maintenance free. Each kind of candle needs specific care –
If you burn beeswax Candlesticks
I’m all done burning my candle now. I’ll just blow it out. Really, there are better ways of putting out your candle whether it’s a pillar or a candlestick than blowing on the wick. Here’s how you Dunk the Wick on your Pillar. Use a pinch style snuffer to put out the flame of your candlestick.
I hope by bringing attention to all the wrong ways of burning beeswax candles you will have learned the right way. That means you will maximize your enjoyment of your beeswax candles and of course that is always my intent! Hopefully our beeswax Honey Candles will always enhance relaxation and fun in your life - like for this Honey Candles fan when they took Honey Candles Taper Pairs on the boat at the Canal lateral de la Loire in France. That's what we have in mind!
