Candle Care: What to Know Before You Light the Wick
Candle Care, Clarified
What’s really behind the gentle glow of a candle?
Candles have long moved beyond their original role as a source of light. Today, questions centre not only on open flame but also on composition, air quality, and everyday use. Reassuringly, well-made candles are safe to enjoy when burned properly.
Research, including a 2021 study in Environment International, found that in most indoor scenarios, gases and particles from burning candles remained at levels well below established air-quality guidelines. Even so, candle safety still depends on both product design and how a candle is used at home. Most problems arise from poor candle care and burning habits.
Essential Candle Safety Rules
• Never leave a candle burning unattended, and always extinguish it before going to sleep
• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything flammable, including curtains, bedding, and furniture
• Be mindful of loose clothing or hair near open flames
• Keep candles out of reach of children and pets
• Avoid drafty areas
A Final Note
Simple candle care helps prevent common burning issues. Trimming
the wick and keeping the wax pool clean are practical ways to maintain a cleaner, more stable burn.
Soot: The Causes and How to Minimize It
Soot is a fine black carbon powder formed through incomplete
combustion.
Common Causes
Oversized wicks and improper burning conditions are the most common causes of soot. A wick that is too thick or too long for the candle draws up excess wax, feeding the flame and producing more soot.
Manufacturers aim to match wick size to wax type, but how you care for a candle also affects the flame’s behaviour. Maintaining the correct wick length is one of the most effective ways to control soot formation.
How to Reduce Soot
• Trim wicks to ¼ inch before each use to prevent an oversized flame
• Clear debris from the wax pool to help the candle burn cleanly
• Avoid drafty areas since moving air can cause the flame to flicker, smoke, and emit soot
Next: Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs – what do they have to do with candles?
What Are VOCs, and Should I Be Concerned?
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based substances that easily evaporate at room temperature. They may also be released as a natural part of combustion. Because candles involve burning and heated fragrance, some people wonder what that means for the air in their homes. But VOCs are not unique to candles. They are also why most things have a smell at all. A scent reaches you only if its molecules are light enough to travel.
Where They Appear
They are present in many everyday sources, including:
• Cooking and frying foods
• Cleaning products
• New furniture
• Plants
Why It Matters
At high levels, VOCs can affect indoor air quality. With candles, emissions are very low under normal use, whether scented or unscented. For most homes, a burning candle is a minor source next to cooking and cleaning products.