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Candle Burning Instructions
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Scroll your mouse over any picture below
to read instructions about that particular candle:
   
  
General Burning Guidelines:
Please following all of the
guidelines listed below as they will
help ensure the safety of you and your loved ones!!
Trim wick to ⅜ each time
before lighting.
You may need to use your
wick dipper to extinguish the candle,
and trim the wick back to
⅜ after several hours of burning. DO NOT trim too short!
This will result in a small flame
and
the melt pool will not reach the edges of the jar.
Always burn candle at least until the wax has liquefied
to the edge
of the jar. A general rule of thumb is one hour per inch
of width of the candle.
This will prevent any chance of tunneling.
Example: A 2" wide
Roly Poly candle will need to burn
for at least 2 hours.
Our candles are tested to burn in room temperatures averaging 70˚
degree's. Keep in mind your burning environment.
If you room temperature
is 60˚degree's, you may not achieve a full melt pool or
have poor scent throw. If you room is at 85˚ degree's,
your candle may burn faster and need the wick trimmed
more often.
Keep wick centered and melt pool free of wick trimmings.
When your wax burns down to the last
½" you may need
to
re-center your wicks if they move. A handy-dandy
wick dipper works great for this task.
Please remember, candles must be burned away from drafts and on
a stable heat resistant surface. Please DO NOT allow
water or moisture to mix with the wax. This can cause splattering
and popping of the wax!
Candle care and burning is a responsibility. Please burn
wisely!! Keep candles away from children, pets and curtains!
All candles come with a warning label attached to the bottom
- Please read it!
Remember, Never Leave A Burning Candle Unattended!
The Long Low-Down
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What are the differences between Caterpillars Soy Candles 100%
all natural soybean wax candles and other company's paraffin wax
candles or soy blend candles?
Caterpillars Soy Candles are made from 100% all natural waxes,
which are soy and vegetable waxes (palm plant wax is used for our
pillars). This renewable source of wax burns cleaner than paraffin
wax candles, (paraffin is a by-product of gasoline refining). Soy
wax also burns longer as natural waxes burn cooler than paraffin
wax. The candles may also exhibit some "sweating" during
extreme temperature changes. (See the next question).
[top]
My jar candle has a small pool of wetness on
the top of the wax. What is this?
This is called "sweat". Soy wax has a lower melting
point than regular paraffin wax, and will release excess moisture
that it cannot hold. You can leave it or wipe it out with a paper
towel. It does not affect the burn quality, and will generally not
show up again after your first burn. This typically only shows up
in the jar candles. For optimum performance, store your
caterpillars candle in a cool area, out of direct sunlight.
[top]
My wick has a "mushroom" type head on
it after burning. What is this?
This is a build-up of carbon, and is found on almost all
fragranced candles. This effect has been minimized as much as
possible with Caterpillars Soy Candles, and by following our burning
instructions of trimming the wick to ⅜" before the next
burn will eliminate this build-up. [top]
My candle has been burning for about 4 hours
and I can see smoke coming from the wick. What should I do?
You should extinguish the candle and trim the wick to ⅜".
Smoking from a wick is usually caused by the wick needing to be
trimmed. This is also the case if you just lit a candle and see it
smoking. If your
wick is already trimmed to ⅜", check to
make sure that your candle is not being burned in a draft. Heating
vents, ceiling fans, windows and even doorways that you walk
through fairly often will create a draft of wind and will cause
your candle to smoke and create soot.
[top]
I noticed on the last few candles that I have
burned that there is black soot around the tops of the jars. What
causes this and how can I avoid it?
First of all, you may have read or heard other candle
manufacturers claim that their all natural wax candles are
"Soot Free". This is a big misconception. No candle can
be "soot free", but natural wax candles do have less
soot. (see the candle facts
page) The only way a candle can be soot free is if the flame is
completely blue (ie: propane torch), meaning there is 100%
combustion. Black soot is caused by a candle that is smoking (in
our candles this is typically from too long of a wick!).
- There
could be several reasons why you are getting black soot. First,
you should only burn your candles 1 hour for every inch the candle
is in diameter. For votives - this is 1 1/2-2 hours, for jars a
maximum of 6 hours, depending on the diameter.
- Second, make sure that you trim
the wick to ⅜" each and every time before you light
your candle.
- Third, make sure that you are not burning your candle in a
draft. Any draft of wind will make the candle flame flicker
and smoke.
- Fourth, when you are trimming your candle wicks - do
not leave the trimmings in the candle wax. This will cause black soot.
- Fifth, ensure that there is enough air space around your
candle. Do not burn under a cupboard or shelf. This inhibits
the amount of oxygen that is getting to the wick of the candle
and will cause black soot to form.
[top]
My candle is leaving a lot of wax on the sides
of the container as I burn it. Is this normal?
This is called "wax hang up" or "tunneling", and is usually caused
because on the first burn of the candle it was extinguished before a
full melt pool was achieved. To get a full melt pool on any candle,
it should be burned for a minimum of one hour for every inch the
candle is in diameter. Most waxes have a "memory", and if a candle
is extinguished before a full melt pool is achieved on the first
burn, the subsequent melt pools will not go past this first burn
ring. [top]
Candle-making is an
art and a science. A good candle manufacturer plans, designs, and
tests their candles with their fragrances per each candle
container and size to ensure good scent "throw" and candle
performance. Each fragrance has different “throw” qualities,
and just “triple scenting” does not mean more fragrance. In fact too
much fragrance can cause the candle wick to mushroom, smoke when
burned, and could even cause the candle itself to combust causing
shooting flames eight inches above the candle! (guess how we know
that! :)
Caterpillars Soy
Candles are all designed and tested to burn properly, creating the
safest, cleanest, and most aromatic candle on the market.
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Customer
service is our top priority!
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►
Consumer Alert:
Soy wax candles can be called soy candles even if
they are as little as 25% soy!
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Caterpillars Soy Candles
are made from biodegradable, FDA certified
organic soybean wax!
It contains NO pesticides
or herbicides and is NOT from genetically modified
crops! Choose 100% soy - our environmentally friendly
wax is guaranteed to contain NO petroleum!
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