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When it comes to candle care, you want to ensure safe placement to avoid fire hazards as well as know how to fix candle tunneling to allow hours of burn time.
But there’s also another trick that can preserve the life of your candle: Learning how to store candles. To make your candles last, here are some expert tips on storing them properly when they’re not in use.
Basic Candle Storing Tips
The Importance of Fire Safety
First and foremost, it’s essential to learn how to store candles safely. According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to roughly 7,600 home fires started by candles between 2014 and 2018. As a potential fire hazard, candles must be stored away from curious children and pets, even when not lit. Plus, you should avoid storing candles in cardboard boxes and, in general, anything flammable—just in case!
Store Candles at Room Temperature
Candles are intended to melt. However, don’t let them melt when you can’t enjoy them. In other words, when not in use, avoid storing your candles in warm areas, ideally room temperature. Otherwise, they can soften, bend and even melt together. Unlike bare candles, such as pillars or the tapered variety, this is one advantage of jar candles—they remain intact!
In the same vein, never freeze your candles! Since wicks are typically made of a natural wood or fibrous material (ours are 100 percent organic cotton), it can become damaged if it absorbs too much moisture and freezes.
Learn All the Necessary Candle Care Here!
Keep Away from Sunlight
Direct sunlight does more than melt candles. It will also make the candle’s beautiful color and custom fragrance fade much faster. So consider storing your candles in a pantry or bathroom cupboard, away from the sun’s UV rays. Basically, the darker the space, the longer your candle will stay preserved.
Avoid Moisture-Prone Areas
Lastly, be sure to store your candles somewhere in the home that’s nice and dry. While it’s nice to keep candles in the bathroom for self-care days where you unwind with a deep tub soak, avoid storing them beneath the sink where leaks can occur. It’s also a wise idea to avoid damp basem*nts unless it’s a jar candle style.
How to Store Candles from Homesick
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You can lengthen the life of candles and scented products like fresheners and reed diffusers by storing them correctly. Here are our recommendations on how best to preserve each Homesick product:
Jar and Tumbler Candles
Jar and tumbler candles are stored best standing upright. Unlike pillar and tapered candles, the container keeps them from melting or warping and generally just makes them easier to care for. The jar or container holds the scent, lasting far longer. Safely stack unused jar and tumbler candles in a box or basket in the room you use them in most frequently—protecting the container itself from being broken or damaged—and you’re all good!
Car Fresheners
Although they’re not wax and wick-based, car fresheners should also be stored correctly. Like candles, they can still lose their scents quickly, which would be a real shame the next time you retrieve it for a road trip. Instead, keep your car fresheners stored in a sealed container, like a plastic baggie. Also, be sure to keep car fresheners in their original packaging or stored separately to preserve their scents. For convenience, keep your car fresheners somewhere that makes sense to you, whether it’s directly in the car’s glove box or center console or tucked away inside the garage.
Reed Diffusers
Reed diffuser sticks and oils should be handled much the same way as car fresheners. Cap the oil container, storing it upright to ensure it doesn’t leak. For the reeds, keep them wrapped up in an airtight baggie until they’re ready to be used again. It’s worth noting you should avoid muddling scents and using reeds in multiple diffusers. So it’s best to mark or label which reeds belong to which oil diffuser.
Organize and Store Candles
We hope this has brought some insight into how to store candles, both as a safety means and to preserve them. This way, you can enjoy them as long as possible! Plus, when you want to bring out your favorites and revisit a special place or hometown, you can rest assured the scent is as good as new.
