Candle Tips

Even in this modern day of electricity and light bulbs, candles still have a purpose and are commonly used. While we may not use them for light as much anymore, they are still used for aroma, beauty, setting the mood, or religious purposes. For general lighting purposes, it is obvious why we switched over to electric light bulbs: they give more light, they are less of a fire hazard, and they cause less of a mess. But since candles are still used, we still have to deal with the mess they create.

Have you ever used candles for an extended period of time, and while you were not watching, the wax from the candle sneaked out of the place it was suppose to fall and landed on your beautiful hardwood floor? If you have, you can get rid of it without scraping and potentially wrecking your floor. All you need is a blow dryer to get rid of that pesky wax. Just blast the wax with the heat from the blow dryer. This will soften the candle wax up significantly so you will be able to wipe it right up with a paper towel. You may need to blast it with heat for up to several minutes, but it will be much easier than trying to pry off hard wax. Once you have wiped the wax off, rub down the area underneath with a wood floor cleaner, or the mixture of vinegar and water that we discussed in another article, to bring the shine out.

You can also avoid the annoyance of dripping candles entirely by either purchasing drip-free candles or making your own. To do the latter, soak regular candles in a very salty solution for a few hours. Dry them thoroughly, then light your amazing drip-free candles.

You can also chill your candles to prevent dripping. Forget the junk drawer; store candles in your refrigerator instead. That way, they will not drip when they burn.

If you want to extend the life of your candles, then try this counter-intuitive tip. Just shorten the length of their wicks. Snip the wick close to the candle, and your candle will last longer.