Candles are available in nearly every size, shape, color, and aroma.  The candle industry has had a steady growth of 10-15% annually, which now reaches $2.3 billion in sales a year.

Maintenance & Care

A candle that is not properly maintained can get build-up on the wick (mushrooming), causing it to emit dark smoke or soot on the ceiling, walls, and furniture.

• Keep the wick trimmed 1/4".
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• Never leave wick trimmings, matches, or other things in the candle.
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• Never burn candles that have flammable items imbedded in them.
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• Burn 1 hour for each inch in diameter at a time. (Example: 4" diameter = 4 hours of burning)
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• Never allow flames to touch the sides of the container.
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• Never burn a candle in a drafty area.

Allow Candles To Cool Before:

• Handling or moving them.
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• Trimming the wick.
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• Relighting them.
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• Placing the lid back on top.

Extinguish Safely

Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to sleep.  To prevent hot wax from splattering, extinguish a candle by:

• Using a candle snuffer.
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• Holding fingers in front of the flame and blowing softly.

Never burn a candle completely down to the bottom.

• Taper an pillar candles should only burn down to within 2" from the bottom.
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• Votives and container candles should be extinguished before the last 1/2" of wax melts.

Do's & Don'ts

• Keep all matches and lighters out of reach of children.
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• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
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• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
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• Never allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
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• Keep candles away from any pets.
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• Avoid walking with any lit candles.
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Safe Placement

• Never use candles in areas where they could be knocked over by children and pets.
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• Never place lit candles in windows with blinds or curtains.
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• Keep candles and all open flames away from flammable liquids.
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Keep lit candles at least one foot away from anything that can burn including:

            Curtains                                                Clothing

            Walls                                                     Books

            Books                                                    Paper

            Upholstered Furniture                         Christmas Trees

            Mattresses/Bedding                            Flammable Decorations

Candleholders should:

• Fit securely and not tip over.
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• Be non-flammable, made from metal, glass, or ceramic.
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• Be large enough to collect dripping wax.
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• Be placed on a sturdy and level heat-resistant surface in uncluttered areas.

In An Emergency

Never use a candle:

• To search for an item in a confined space.
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• For light when checking pilot lights.
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• For temporary lighting in power outages, use a flashlight instead

Lead Exposure

According to the U.S. Costumer Product Safety Commission, only 3% of all burning candles may be omitting unsafe levels of lead.  To determine if your candles are dangerous:

• Inspect the wick of your candle to see if it contains a metal wire center.

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• Contact the candles manufacturer.

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• If your candle contains the wire, avoid burning it.

Candle Fire Facts:

7 out of 10 households use candles.

 37% of all candle fires were the result of candles being left unattended or not properly controlled.

85% of candle fires are caused by human error.

44% of home candle fires start in the bedroom.

In 13% of home candle fires, mattresses or bedding were the first thing ignited.

9% of home candle fires were due to children playing with candles or playing with something flammable near candles.

19% of all home candle fires occur because of combustible material was left too close to the candle.

Because of holidays, December has almost twice the number of home candle fires than any other month.

Candle fires reached a 19 year high of 12,540 in 1998 resulting in 157 deaths, 1,106 injuries and costing $176.1 million in property damage.

Throughout the 1990's candle fires caused nearly $25 million in damage.