529 14th Street NW, Suite 128, Washington, DC 20045

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Safety

Candle safety is crucial for preventing fires and maintaining a healthy home.

  • Candle users can be confident that a well-made and properly burned candle, whether scented or unscented, paraffin or soy wax, will burn safely.
  • To date, no scientific data on any candle wax (paraffin, soy, beeswax, etc.) has proven to be harmful to human health.
  • Scented candles are safe. All fragrances (natural or other) are reviewed against the safety standards established by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA). 
  • Lead wicks were officially banned in the United States since 2003.

 

According to the National Fire Prevention Association:

  • December has the highest rate of candle fires.
  • Half of all candle fires started when a flammable item was too close to a lit candle (furniture, bedding, curtains, paper or clothing)
  • 21% of home candle fires started with candles left unattended, discarded, or otherwise misused.
  • 36% of candle fires started in the bedroom and 10% of which, sleep was a factor. 

 

Never leave your candle unattended

Before you burn, trim your wick to ¼ inch. Not only does this help prevent sooting and tunneling but ensures your candles flame doesn’t grow too large, have an uneven burn, or excess dripping.  

Make sure your candle is on a steady base that cannot move or knock over the candle. Whether it’s a decorative tray, a sturdy table, and in times of inclement weather – a baking sheet – it is important your candle is in a sturdy position on a heat-resistant material.  

Keep your flame away from any flammable items

Even if you think your candle is in a safe place, consider what is nearby should it be knocked over. 

Make sure candles are at least three inches apart from one another. Ensuring they don’t melt one another or create their own drafts causing the candles to burn incorrectly. 

Keep candles away from children and pets and never move a candle when lit.  

Don’t burn the candle all the way down. It’s time to get a new candle once ½ an inch of wax is left in the container or two inches if using a pillar candle.  

Never fall asleep with a candle lit

During a power outage, flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer. Never walk around with a lit candle and never use a candle when fueling equipment such as lanterns or a kerosene heater. Should a candle be used, it should only be used for light on a sturdy, heat resistant base.  

Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle as this is the safety’s way to prevent wax from splattering. 

Never use water to extinguish a candle

This can cause the wax to splatter and can even break the glass container.  

Check your candle once it is extinguished. This is important as candle embers can re-ignite the candle unexpectedly.  

Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled. 

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