Candles are a luxury in this age of electric light and only rarely a necessity, so I understand when someone tells me that candles are too messy and costly to use on a daily basis, especially when pure beeswax candles are not the least expensive option on the market.
I burn my candles every evening in my home, and have had to learn a few things about taking care of them in order to get the best results and longest burn times possible. A few minutes a day and a few simple tools are all that is required.
My first suggestion is that you have candle holders that support the candles securely, catch drips (yes, beeswax candles will drip...who ever started that rumor that they do not?) and show off your candles. All candle holders are not exactly the same and having a supply of Stick Um on hand is a must. It's a great product, is easy to use and gives you the security that your candles will not topple over and out of the holder while burning.
I recommend burning beeswax candles for a few hours at most and then extinguishing and cooling before relighting. You can use a snuffer to extinguish if you like, but sometimes this will ruin the beautiful points that have developed on certain shapes (the square taper or the three-square, e.g.) so a light mouth blowing with your hand behind the candle will suffice.
Before relighting, the wicks need to be trimmed down to 1/4-in. lengths. For this task there is the perfect tool: the wick trimmer! My discovery of this tool changed my world. You can easily trim the wick and catch it without having to blacken your fingertips. This will give you a better, cleaner burn with less drips on the next use.
I imagine that in the pre-electric-light world people knew how to get the most out of their candles and care for them, but it's an unknown skill for most of us now. Hope this helps you enjoy your beeswax candles and get the most out of them!
Susan
Tins of Stick Um and a wick trimmer
