MrsDaffodyl's
Candles
1) NEVER LEAVE
A BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED. If it is in your bedroom and there's
a chance you may doze off... put it out. You won't enjoy it while you
are asleep anyway. This rule also applies to keeping your children and
pets away from a burning candle. Little ones like to blow them out (remembering
birthday candles), and may be fascinated by them and get too close (catching
hair on fire!!!!). Pet tails can be disasterous, too, getting in the
flame and burning, or knocking over the candle and causing a fire (carpet,
etc.).
2) USE CAUTION
WHEN EXTINGUISHING A CANDLE FLAME. Incidents have been reported
of wax spraying and burning folks who blew out a candle too hard. I
know from working extensively with wax that it is VERY uncomfortable
to get it on you when it is hot, although it seldom leaves a serious
burn. The only truly safe way to extinguish a candle (though I'm sure
some would disagree) is to use a snuffer. This is especially important
with gel candles. Candle gel melts and burns at a significantly higher
temperature, and IT WILL BURN YOU IF IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH SKIN. Trust
me! While pouring a candle one time I splashed a small amount of hot
gel on my hand. I wiped it off quickly, but it left behind a nasty red
mark and ached for days!
3) ALLOW A CONTAINER
CANDLE TO COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE IT. This
is for two reasons. First, the melted wax/gel could splash over the
top, causing burns. Second, the container most likely became hot during
the burning, and the hot glass/terra cotta/ceramic/etc. could burn the
skin.
4) DO NOT BURN
ANY CONTAINER CANDLE MORE THAN 5 HOURS AT A TIME. Allow to
cool between burnings. This is also especially for gel candles with
their higher temperatures. Overheating of the container then quick cooling
can cause it to break, possibly leading to injury or burn. If a container
ever does break, allow it to cool completely to avoid burns, and use caution
cleaning up broken glass/ceramic/etc.
5) BURN CANDLES
IN A HOLDER ON A LEVEL, HEAT AND FLAME RESISTANT SURFACE. Places
NOT to burn a candle: Directly on a vinyl table cloth; Wooden table;
Doily; On top of any electronic equipment; Near Curtains; Under overhanging
cabinets, etc. (Trust me on this one, ok?)
