What happens to a candle in a hot car
- The wax softens or melts. Jar candles, soy included, use soft wax so the flame can melt it into a pool. Enough heat from outside does the same thing without the wick.
- The wick can lean or sink. Once the wax is liquid, nothing holds the wick upright.
- It can spill. A jar that tips while the wax is liquid will leak. If it gets on a seat or floor mat, here's how to get wax out of fabric and carpet.
- The top can set unevenly. As it cools, the surface may come out bumpy, frosted or pulled away from the glass. That's cosmetic; see frosting and wet spots.
What to do if a candle melted
- Keep it upright and let it cool on its own at room temperature until it's solid all the way through. Don't put it in the fridge or freezer to hurry it; a fast temperature change is hard on glass.
- Check the wick once it's solid. If it's standing up and you can reach it, trim it to ¼ inch and burn the candle as usual.
- If the wick has sunk or bent flat into the wax, don't dig it out of soft wax. Stop using the candle. If it's one of ours, email [email protected] with a photo.
How to keep candles from melting
- Bring candles in rather than leaving them in a parked car, especially in the sun.
- Store spares somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. Heat and sun also fade the fragrance; more in do candles expire.
- If a candle is being delivered in summer, bring the box inside soon after it arrives.
Candles in the cold
Cold doesn't hurt a candle, but it changes how it looks. Wax shrinks as it cools, which can pull it away from the glass or bring up white frosting. Neither changes the scent.
If a candle has been in a cold car, a garage or on a porch in winter, bring it in and let it come up to room temperature for a few hours before you light it. Lighting very cold glass puts it through a quick change in temperature.
Can you burn a candle in a cold room?
Yes, but the wax melts more slowly. In a cold room the melt pool may not reach the edge of the jar on the first burn, which can start tunneling. Burn it somewhere at normal indoor temperature if you can, and still stop within four hours.
Source: National Candle Association, your foolproof guide to burning a candle correctly.
— Colorado Candle Co.