Candle Safety

Using candles safely

1. Keep clothes and hair away from the naked flame.

2. Always use a suitable holder when burning candles.

3. Keep candles out of the reach of children and away from pets.

4. Consider an extra smoke alarm in the rooms where you use candles.

5. Extinguish candles before moving them and don't let anything fall into the hot wax.

6. Never leave any candle in direct sunlight.

How a Candle Works

Candles generate both light and heat through the simple process of combustion. 

While it looks like the candle’s wick is on fire, it is actually just supporting the flame; it is the wax that is burning. This happens because the wick is absorbent; it draws molten wax up towards the flame, where the wax ignites and vaporises.

The burning wax vapour produces most of the light and heat. This is why the candle’s wick lasts so long, it is simply acting as a kind of fuel line. Once the wax has been used up, the candle can no longer be burnt as there is no longer any fuel for the fire.

The Most Important Candle Safety Rules

Candle safety is all about remembering that a candle is an open flame and treating it accordingly. As long as the candle is treated with the respect it deserves, problems are unlikely.

If people in the home are going to be careless with candles, they are quite literally playing with fire.

1. Never leave a lit candle unattended.

2. Never burn a candle on or near anything that might catch fire.

3. Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.

Place the candle away from anything flammable.

Make sure that there is nothing flammable in the vicinity of your scented candle.  Keep burning candles away from furniture, curtains and drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, clothing, hair etc.

Don’t place your candles under shelves as there is a lot of heat above a burning candle. There should be at least 1m between the candle flame and the surface above it.

Place the candle on a stable, heat-resistant surface.

We recommend using a candle holder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to catch any drips or hot melted wax.

Always put candles including ones already in containers on a heat resistant surface. You should be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, as they can get hot enough to melt plastic

It is also important to make sure the holders are set on flat, stable surfaces to minimise the chance they will tip over.

Keep the wax pool clear

Make sure your candle is free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times as these things can catch fire.

Never add anything to a candle/wick or wax.

Avoid drafts, vents or air currents.

Making sure that you place the candle away from any drafts, vents, fans or air currents will prevent rapid and uneven burning, avoid flare-ups and sooting. Strong drafts could also blow nearby lightweight items into the flame where they could catch fire.

While candles do require ventilation so that they do not exhaust the oxygen in the room, they should also be kept away from drafts in order to ensure a controlled burn.

Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations

Each candle is different so make sure that you thoroughly read and follow each manufacturers instructions on correct lighting, burning and extinguishing. Don’t burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.