Candle Safety
The first step is to trim the candle wick. Every time you want to burn your candle, you need to make sure that you trim the wick effectively to between 0.5 cm and 1 cm or 1/4th or even 1/8th inches long.
There are a bunch of different tools that you can use to trim the candle, such as a simple pair of scissors or even a nail cutter.
NEVER burn candles unattended, keep away from flammable materials, keep away from children and pets. If there are toppings in the candle remove them and place on your altar as an offering.
OBSERVE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
For safety purposes, don’t keep a candle burning for longer than is recommended in the manufacturer’s instructions. If you burn a candle for too long, carbon can collect on the wick and make it unstable. This can lead to a dangerously large flame, smoke and soot. So, always follow the candlemaker’s instructions. As a rule of thumb, candles should not be allowed to burn for longer than four hours. After putting out the flame, let the candle cool for two hours before re-lighting.
Also, make sure you keep the flame away from moving air. Do not place your lit candle close to open windows, fans, air conditioners or high-traffic areas in your home. Moving air can disturb the flame and lead to soot or stains on the glass. Ensuring the candle is positioned far away from flammable objects can help prevent fire accidents originating from an unattended candle.
Glass containers are hot when candle is burning. Do not touch or move candle while it's burning. For heat safety, place candles on a sturdy, fireproof surface such as a marble slab, stone slab, ceramic coaster, etc.
As with all candles, the first burn is the most important.
To begin, candles should burn one hour for every 2.5 cm in diameter of the actual candle size. Therefore, a large glass container should burn a minimum of 4 hours to liquify the entire top layer of wax. If the wax is not allowed to liquify or to melt from edge to edge of the jar or tumbler, it will create a “memory ring,” especially if this is the first time the candle is lit. Once a candle has this “memory ring,” it will continue to tunnel and to burn that way for the life of the candle.
LET THE WAX POOL. Each time you burn your candle, allow the entire top layer to become a fragrant pool of liquid wax and you'll get the best scent possible. 1/2 inch - 1/4 inch of wax will remain in the bottom of the candle - this is normal. Continuing to try to burn past this point could be a fire hazard.
Pillar and Figural Candles
The Same rules apply except that you need to utilize your own container for the candles wax to pool into.
Make sure you only use pillar or figure candle until it is two and a half cm tall (about one inch).
If you are burning the candle for any lower than two and a half cm, it can create a fire hazard.
For the best results, you should use a fire safe tray or bowl to keep the candle burning smoothly. All of the melted wax will be collected within the vessel you use.
Colored waxes can stain or die surfaces, knowing this ensure you use a tray or bowl that is dedicated to candles.