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I've
heard so much on the news about lead core wick?
What's the hazard? Which are the safest candles to
burn?
In 1974, The Consumer Product Safety Commission
studied the effect of lead core wicks. They
determined that lead core wicks do not present a
safety hazard. However, as a precaution, the
National Candle Makers Association voluntarily
agreed to stop using lead core wicks. Most are
made of paper or FDA approved zinc core wicks.
A small percentage of imported candles recently
appeared on the market that may contain lead-core
wicks. There was concern, but no hazards found.
For consumer confidence, these imports were
promptly removed by most retailers. Check
the labels for origin if you have any concerns.
Candles that are made in the
US
are safe.
At Idyllwild Candle Factory we only use zinc core
wicks, which burn beautifully and are safe.
One way to determine if a candle has a lead-core
wick is by using this easy test: rub a piece of
paper on the tip of an unused metal wick. A
lead-core wick will leave a gray pencil-like mark,
while a zinc-or tin-core wick will not.
How can I remove spilled wax from
my carpet or fireplace bricks?
Since most candles are highly scented, the problem
is usually not the wax itself but the oil residue
left over. Scrape as much hard wax off the surface
as possible. Place a clean old towel over the
remaining spill. Place a warm (not hot) iron on
the towel. This will heat the wax and the towel
will absorb it. Do this method over several days
on different parts of the towel as to not scorch
your iron with wax and oil residue.
Use warm water and soap to clean the oil residue.
Be patient, this takes time.
(see candle burning tips to avoid spillage)
What causes my candle to "smoke"
every time I light it?
Many people complain about candles that smoke and
this can be eliminated by trimming the wicks to ¼
inch every time you burn the candle. This is true
for all types of candle.
With a quality candle, you shouldn't have problems
with smoking, but it is worth remembering that
scented candles will smoke more than unscented
candles. Even a quality candle may smoke the first
time it's lit. A longer wick, quality of wick, and
wax pool debris are also factors.
Keeping your wick trimmed and removing debris from
the wax pool formed around your burning candle is
suggested. Believe it or not Candles need to
breathe. If you burn a candle in a small room, it
is likely to smoke. Please consider the size of
your room when you display your new candles.
When I extinguish my candle the wax
pool is full of black particles. What causes this
and what should I do?
This is wick residue. Keeping your wick trimmed
can eliminate this. Should debris still fall into
the wax pool, carefully extinguish the flame, wait
until the wax pool has cooled, hardened but is
still soft, then remove ALL debris from the
softened wax pool.
I'm a smoker, is there really a
candle that can make the air fresher?
There are several companies promoting "smoke
and odor eliminators." Most are temporary but
effective solutions to all kinds of odors. I've
found that placing a simple, large size Vanilla
candle absorbs odors as good as these products.
Place Vanilla candles around the room, in closets,
mildew areas and near pet boxes. Replace
them weekly. This can avoid costly sprays and
electric fresheners while decorating your home.
Try our French Vanilla votives ... replaced often,
it really does work!!
The label said my candle will burn
50 to 100 hours, but it only lasted for about 30.
Why?
Most candles are manufactured. The intent is to
get you to buy more, sooner. When you buy a
quality candle the goal is the experience of the
art of the burn, not the end result.
At Idyllwild Candle Factory, our goal is quality.
The burn times are our trade mark. That's why we
use high quality wax, wicks measured to candle
size, and instructions for burning. Candle
placement is also a factor in making your candle
burn quicker. Keep your candle out of a breeze or
draft. (Including ceiling fans which we forget are
on) And keep the wick trimmed.
I keep trimming the wick, but I
still have a big flame. How can I get a smaller
flame?
The
size of the wick per inch of wax determines the
size of the flame. Meaning, if you have a votive
with a large wick, no matter how much you trim the
wick it will still burn high and bright causing
the wax around it to form a bigger pool.
At the Factory, we tested and retested burn time
of wicks vs. amount of wax poured around it to
ensure a long yet effective burn.
When buying your candle, check the size of the
wick versus the size of the candle.
If the wick is too small, it will drown in the wax
pool. If it is too big it will burn all the wax
around it causing spillage and shorter burning
time.
My Candle has a small flame and I
want a bigger one. Is there anything I can do?
A candle is "set" during the first burn.
Trimming your wick to around 1/4 inch and burning
it for about 2 hours sets the burn for most of the
candles life. If you trim the wick too short
(less than a 1/4 inch), you'll have a low flame.
However, this can be somewhat adjusted during the
burn. If you've trimmed the wick to short, set
aside a time when you can burn your candle for
more than 4 or 5 hours. Most times the
longer you burn a candle with a zinc core wick,
the higher the wick will remain. One or two longer
burns can set you're candle up for a bigger flame
the next burn. It is important to note if you burn
your candle more than 3 hours, you must carefully
monitor your burning candle to avoid spillage, wax
debris in the wax pool or a hazard from a higher
flame.
Unfortunately if you buy a candle with an inferior
quality wick and wax, it will burn its own way no
matter how diligent you are. I recommend only
higher quality candles with FDA approved zinc core
wicks.
(FYI: I too love a brightly burning candle as
opposed to a lower flame)
The wick in my candle keeps falling
to one side, why is this happening?
An inferior wick and wax was used. This happens
with most paper wicks are surrounded by inferior
wax. This can lead to a hole burn on one side
causing major wax spillage on your surface. I
would immediate take the remaining candles back to
the retailer for a refund as these are the most
hazardous candles on the market.
I was told that a good candle
disappears as it burns, can you explain this?
No one likes wax spillage. The alternative was to
develop a candle that burns completely into
itself; so many companies developed a
"disappearing candle."
At the Factory, we tested many waxes with or
without additives for burn quality, safety and
most important, what the candle public would like.
We realized that the wax from disappearing candle
became invisible and airborne.
Meaning, if there is no left over wax, where did
it go? Our test results found, it goes into the
AIR YOU BREATHE. If that candle has
additives such as vybar and stearic acid, you are
also breathing those in as well.
Idyllwild Candle Factory candles "roll
into" themselves rather than disappear.
We concluded we would rather have some left over
wax than wax particles and additives floating in
the breathable air over your dinner table.
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