How to Get Wax Out of a Candle Jar and Reuse It

When a candle is finished

Stop burning a candle when about ½ inch of wax is left in the bottom. Below that, the glass can get too hot.

The freezer method

Put the jar in the freezer for a few hours. Cold soy wax shrinks away from the glass, and it usually pops out with a gentle push from a butter knife. This is the least messy way.

The hot water method

Set the jar on a towel and carefully fill it with hot water, not boiling. A sudden blast of heat can crack glass. The wax melts, floats to the top and hardens as the water cools, and you can lift it out in one piece. Throw the wax in the trash, never down the drain, where it hardens in the pipes.

The wick tab and the label

The wick sits on a small metal tab glued to the bottom. Slide a butter knife under it and lift it off. To get the label off, soak the jar in warm soapy water and peel. Rub away any leftover glue with a little cooking oil or rubbing alcohol, then wash the jar in warm soapy water.

What to do with the jar

Our 4 oz and 9 oz jars are amber glass with black lids, and the tumbler and tall jar are clear glass. Clean, they make good homes for:

cotton balls and swabs in the bathroom
matches and a lighter
pens, makeup brushes or paintbrushes
paper clips, hair ties or a small sewing kit
a small succulent or plant cuttings

Or recycle it

Clean glass jars can go in most curbside recycling. Check your local rules for the lids.

Ready for the next one?

If you're working through candles faster than you'd like, the sampler (any four 4 oz candles for $56) lets you try four new scents at once.