I've updated this article from earlier in the year as I get lots of questions about candle care. People come to Yankee Candle all the time and with the array of products Yankee have it can be a little daunting about what the best way to use each item. I remember at the start of my interest in Yankee Candle, I couldn't get my head around tarts and how to use them!
So for the
uninitiated and for those who want the basics in one handy place, here is my
candle care guide to Yankee Candles.
LARGE JARS
Yankee
Candle large jars give you the longest life (up to 150 hours) but this can be
shortened if you don’t take care of some basics.
Make sure
your candle wick is no more than about 0.5cm in length. This may seem short but
when lit the wax melts immediately around the wick and you’ll get a good flame.
Honestly, you can't have your wick trimmed short enough. Keeping it low will reduce the likelihood of any soot being produced by your candle.
Honestly, you can't have your wick trimmed short enough. Keeping it low will reduce the likelihood of any soot being produced by your candle.
Burn your
candle until the wax pool reaches the edge of the jar. The time this takes
varies. In the very warm weather it can happen in about 2 hours but the average
is 3-4 hours. I have had it take 6 hours plus on a cold night with a very short
wick so be warned!
If you can’t
leave your candle on for that long make sure you get as close to the edge as
you can. An illuma lid (see accessories) can help with levelling off slight wax
build up around the edge. What you are trying to avoid is ‘tunnelling’ – a
Yankee Candle fans worst nightmare! This is when you are left with wax around
the edge of your Yankee and it burns down through the middle.
A Yankee Candle fan's worst nightmare!
What you are
aiming for is to maintain a completely flat surface as you burn your candle
down through the jar. You should then get your huge 150 hours of candle burn.
Illuma lids will also stop the flame from flickering giving you the best burn quality.
Finally if doing a long burn blow out and snip your wick at any sign of 'bobbling' or black smoke. This will again assist with preventing any soot getting into your room.
Finally if doing a long burn blow out and snip your wick at any sign of 'bobbling' or black smoke. This will again assist with preventing any soot getting into your room.
MEDIUM JARS
Exactly the
same as large jars!
SMALL JARS
Probably
only need to burn these for 1-1 ½ hours at a time. Same principle as for large
jars, try and make sure you don’t extinguish the flame before the wax pool gets
to the edge.
Again don't be scared to snip any long wicks!
Again don't be scared to snip any long wicks!
SAMPLERS
(VOTIVES)
For votive
candles or samplers as they are now known, you need an enclosed container as
the wax will spill over the top of the candle and melt downwards.
A typical votive holder
No minimum
burn time, however keep your wick to about 1 cm.
Tip - always add a couple of drops of water in the bottom of your holder before putting the votive in. This will make it just pop out when you are ready to remove it.
Tip - always add a couple of drops of water in the bottom of your holder before putting the votive in. This will make it just pop out when you are ready to remove it.
When you
reach the bottom of your sampler you can remove the wick and pop any remaining
wax in your melt warmer (see below!) to make sure you don’t waste any!
MELTS
(TARTS)
You will
need a melt warmer for these but they are easily found in many high street
shops (sometimes called oil burners).
Some standard oil burners
Essentially
pop your Yankee Candle melt into the top of the warmer and use a tea light
underneath to melt the wax. There is no minimum use time and you should get a big hit of fragrance within about 15 minutes.
Yankee
Candle tea lights are great and a cheaper (but quality) alternative are
Wilkinsons’ tea lights. If you use other cheap tea lights particularly with
Yankee Candle’s own warmers you may find you don’t get the same melt duration.
Once you
have used all the scent in your melt or even if you just fancy a change – pop your
melt warmer in the freezer for 15 minutes or so (make sure it’s cooled off before
you put it in the freezer!!). Then carefully prize out the melt wax – it will
just pop out with a bit of prodding – I promise!
TEA LIGHTS
Although
there is no real minimum burn with Yankee Candle scented tea lights, I have found after
you have used them a couple of times it is best to then let them burn through.
The lower you get to the wick base the quicker the chance of it burning out
when you light it and you can be left with at least half a tea light full of
wax!
USEFUL ACCESSORIES
Illuma Lids –
Not just for decoration, they can help prevent flame flicker, and definitely
assist with anti-tunnelling as they trap more heat in.
Shades –
These again will help prevent draughts and give you a steady burn.
Wick Trimmer
– Gives you the perfect wick length each and every time and very handy as you
have to reach down the jar as the candle is used!
Taper candle
or long lighter – You’ll need one of these to light your large jar once it
level lowers.
Need more
help or got any questions? Drop by the Facebook page any time, always happy to
talk Yankee Candle!