Common Candle Questions - Answered

This is what happens when you burn a candle, the wax oxidizes in the flame to yield water and carbon dioxide, which dissipate in the air around the candle, in a reaction which also yields light and heat. Paraffin wax is composed of chains of connected carbon atoms surrounded by hydrogen atoms. These hydrocarbon molecules can burn completely. First the heat of the flame vaporizes the wax molecules and then they react with the oxygen in the air. As long as the wax doesn't melt away from the flame, the flame will consume it completely and leave no ash or wax residue.

This is not harmful. However, do check to make sure the candles you purchase contain wicks that are 100% Cotton. Many imports contain lead wicks ' which can cause severe health problems.

When purchasing a candle how does one know if a candle is scented throughout or simply scented on the surface'

Unfortunately there is no clear way to tell whether the candle is scented throughout or not, unless it says directly on the package. However, through my experience, I have found the cheaper candles (primarily those coming from china) seem to only have fragranced coatings on them ' with chunks of unscented wax in the middle. Fragrance oil is one of the most expensive ingredients in candle manufacturing. I recommend simply using your common sense: if you see a 22 oz candle for $5 ' more than likely you will not receive the same fragrance at the beginning as at the end.

Someone once asked me about an expression they'd read but didn't quite understand. The expression referred to a game being worth its candle. Can you provide any help'

The more usual form of this expression is not worth the candle. It dates from medieval times, when any night-time activity had to be lit by candles, which were expensive. So some activity that wasn't worth the candle wasn't worth the cost of supplying the light to see it by. It's only now, when the obvious link between the situation and the expression has been lost as a result of changing technology, that people can use forms like not worth its candle, subtly shifting the sense and making it harder to understand.

Incidentally, candles played such a large part in life in the centuries before whale oil lamps, gas and electricity successively appeared that several expressions are connected with them, such as can't hold a candle to him, meaning that a person isn't fit even to hold the candle for somebody else to work. Another is burn the candle at both ends, to be spendthrift, to expend one's effort too lavishly, or try to do too much at once.

In my dog's excitement at welcoming a dinner guest into my home, his tail knocked over one of my candles and ended up spilling the wax onto my carpeted floor. How do I get the wax out'

You can remove melted candle wax from a carpet or even a piece of furniture with a brown paper bag and an iron. Just place a piece of brown paper (folded) over the melted wax area and place a hot iron, on a low setting, on top of the newspaper for 5 to 10 seconds, lift up iron and paper. The wax should have soaked up into the paper and removed it from the carpet. This might need to be repeated a few times.

I have melted votive candle wax all over the bottom of my favorite holder. How do I get it out'

To get any of our melted votive wax out of holders, simply place the holder in the refrigerator for an hour and wax will 'pop' out. How does this happen, you ask' Well, wax, like many other solids, shrinks when the temperature is lowered, thereby releasing itself naturally from its container. Buyer beware: while this technique is guaranteed to work on any Susquehanna Candle, it may not work on other candle brands' votives.

Susquehanna Candle, L.L.C. is a leading designer, manufacturer and wholesaler of superior quality scented candles in the US Market.

Visit our Web site at http://www.susquehannacandle.com