How to Burn Your Holiday Candles Safely

By Susan M. Keenan

Holiday candles in a wide variety of sizes, colors, aromas, and design are a popular presence in many homes. They tantalize our memories as their aromatic scents waft across the room, drawing us back to past holiday gatherings with loved ones. They tempt our tummies with their sweet whiffs of apple pie, sugar cookie, or cinnamon toast. They awaken our sense of expectation of good things to come. They encourage a warm, fuzzy feeling that glows from the inside out and manifests itself in a silent smile that seems to glisten on our faces.

Their bright colors jump out in a lively manner and seem to express the joy and delight that we feel as we mingle with friends and family. Candles in muted shades seem to be an understatement of the heady bouquet that emits from their silent presence. They startle us with the intensity with which they encourage an emotional response that transfers itself to a physical presence.

Our reaction to the presence of candles glowing softly in the background is exactly what makes them such a necessary part of our holiday celebrations. More important than the fragrances we select, the shape and color of the candleholder, or the size and design of the candle is the care with which we burn them. Always follow safe candle burning strategies to ensure the safety of your home and loved ones.

Safety Measures to Consider Before Your Purchase of Candles

• Purchase candles that include safety instructions on their labels. The presence of safety instructions is a good indicator that the candle conforms to ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) standards. The ASTM and the National Candle Association have established safety standards for burning candles safely.
• Purchase candles with wicks that are a quarter inch long or shorter to avoid a safety hazard. Although you can trim the wick before you light it, chances are that you will forget once the holiday magic begins to flow.
• Avoid artistic candles, especially homemade varieties such as those found at craft fairs and specialty shops. Although they are pretty and quite ornamental, candles that include dried flowers, sprigs of herb, or other small ornamental items, are more flammable than candles that do not. If these items were to catch on fire, sparks could issue from them, creating a safety hazard.
• Purchase only candleholders that are nonflammable. This includes glass, metal, and ceramic materials.
• Additionally, purchase candleholders that allow enough room at the bottom to catch the hot wax drippings. Hot was drippings have the potential to ignite flammable items.
• Never purchase candles that are set in a broken candleholder.
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions that come with the candle. Knowing the safety precautions beforehand is extremely helpful. Know what the requirements are for putting the candle out, that is, how low the candle can burn before you need to extinguish its flame. A general rule of thumb is to extinguish votives before the last half inch of wax begins to melt and to extinguish other candles that have two inches or less of the candle remaining.

Safety Measures to Consider After Your Purchase of Candles

• Cut the wicks on any candles to a quarter inch or less. Longer wicks pose a safety hazard.
• Burn your candles on heat resistant surfaces only.
• Do not move a burning candle from one location to another. Extinguish it first, and then relight the candle.
• Do not burn a candle that is held in a broken or cracked holder.
• Keep the candle free of all debris, including the spent match.
• Avoid leaving candles unattended once they are burning. If you are the responsible party who lit the candle, then you need to be the responsible person who watches the candle while it is burning every single minute. This does not mean that you keep your eyes on the candle, but rather, that you remain in the room where the candle is burning. It only takes a few seconds for a small child, family pet, or clumsy adult to knock something into a burning candle.
• Always extinguish candles when retiring for the night or going outside.
• Check to make sure that a candle is completely extinguished. Do not allow it to smolder.
• If possible, it really is best to avoid burning candles around small children and pets. They simply don’t understand the ramifications of a knocked over candles that is burning.
• Burning candles should never be placed in a window. Curtains and draperies may be highly combustible. • When burning candles in the bathroom, be careful with their placement. Not only do you need to avoid placing them near the decorative holiday themed fingertip towels, but also, you need to avoid everything that can burn if a flame touches it- tissue boxes, holiday decorations, shower curtains, etc.
• If you are burning candles in the bedroom, do not put them in the proximity of the bedding or lampshades.
• Use only nonflammable candleholders such as glass, metal, and ceramic holders.
• Use an appropriately sized candleholder for your candles. If it is too large, then the candles can tip over more easily. If it is too small, then not only can the candle tip over more easily, but also, the hot was drippings will have no where to go but on the outside of the candleholder.
• Refrain from placing burning candles near flammable surfaces. Candle flames can ignite surfaces without even touching them. The flame produces heat and this can become intense enough to ignite wood such as bookcases and carpets.
• Burning candles shouldn’t be placed anywhere near holiday decorations, including trees.
• Never place burning candles in close proximity of each other. Drafts, even temporary ones, can cause the flames to behave erratically. In fact, the flames may simply join together, creating an even larger flame that will burn higher, possibly reaching something that was out of reach before this happened.
• Exercise caution when moving an extinguished votive or scented candle. Since this type of candle turns to liquid, it is best to allow the candle to cool before moving it.
• Use a snuffer or metal spoon to extinguish your candle to avoid any sparks from flying about and accidentally igniting something.

© Doityourself.com 2006