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Candle Safety + Care

General Wood Wick Candle Care and Safety Instructions

To ensure you get the most enjoyment out of your candles, it is important to follow standard candle safety and care guidelines. Wildwood Candle Co. is not responsible for misuse. Each candle includes safety instructions on the bottom label. 

As with any handcrafted product, variances in color, performance, texture of wax and wicks may occur. Wooden wicks behave differently from cotton wicks -- because they are cut from untreated wood, there may be a slight variation in the thickness and grain of each wick. Each candle may burn slightly different and require extra maintenance. 

Leif Erikson candle

Tips for Burning Wooden Wicked Candles: 

  • Hold candle at an angle when lighting; contact wick with flame for at least 8-10 seconds. This is super helpful if you are having issues with the wick catching fire.
  • Bic wand lighters or rechargeable arc USB lighters are more ideal than strike matches. 
  • Upon first lighting, allow wax melt pool to reach edge of glass before extinguishing to prevent wax tunneling. This may take at least 2-3 hours.
  • Before each new burn, trim excess burnt wood on wick to .2" height above the wax. This is very important! If not properly trimmed, the wick may not light, or flame may be too high. The shorter the height allows the wax to capillary up the wick to feed the flame properly. After each burn, trim the wick to where the wood naturally breaks off.
  • If you think you've over-trimmed the wick, use a butter knife to gently scrape out a small bit of wax beneath the wick to expose unburnt wood, and relight. 
  • If you notice the flame height getting too low after burning for an extended amount of time, it may be necessary to snap off any excess ash or burnt wood along the top of the wick. The flame will then return to its proper optimal height.

General Candle Safety:

  • Burn within sight on a level, heat resistant surface away from drafts, children, pets and flammable objects.
  • Never leave a burning candle unattended.
  • Do not touch hot glass on a burning or cooling candle.
  • Keep wax pool free of debris and wood wick trimmings.
  • Always burn candles in a well ventilated room.
  • Never burn a candle for more than 4 hours at a time.
  • Never extinguish candles with water.
  • If smoking occurs, extinguish candle, trim wick and relight.
  • Handle glass jar with care. If the jar is broken, chipped or cracked, discontinue use.
  • Discontinue burning once 1/2" of wax remains. Burning beyond this point can present a fire hazard.
  • Due to the unpredictable nature of soy wax, it is normal to see some adhesion changes within the glass over time. This does not affect the ability of the wax to burn or mean the candle is defective.

Please Recycle! 

All product and packaging materials are meant to be reused or recycled. If you choose to reuse the glass, please do so with caution. Wait for wax to cool and re-solidify after last burn (when you have about 1/2" left). Using a spoon or butter knife, gently lift and scoop the wax (soy is soft and easy to remove) from the bottom of the glass while standing over a trash can. Metal wick tabs may be dislodged by lifting with a utensil as well. Wash remaining wax residue with hot, soapy water, and/or through your dishwasher.