How are burn times calculated? Each candle size's burn time is based on an average burn time achieved from completely burning through several test candles in a variety of scents. The test burns follow our suggested best burning practices. (see below)
How can I make my candle burn the longest? We suggest burning a candle for a minimum of 3 hours (or at least until the melt pool reaches all sides) and no more than 6 hours at a time. Candles should always be kept our of drafts to prevent uneven melting. We also suggest trimming your wick before relighting.
Why do I need to trim the wick? Candles will burn best if the excess char is trimmed off before each use. It can be pinched off with your fingers (when cool) but that can be messy. We recommend a wick trimmer to neatly and cleanly cut the wick. Be sure to carefully discard the trimmed bit.
What are the safety instructions? Never leave your candles unattended while burning and always keep them out of reach of children. Be sure the candle is always clear of other objects when lit. The jars can become very HOT. Never touch the jar while lit. If the melt pool becomes too deep, if the candle jar seems too hot, or if you see smoke coming from the wick, extinguish the candle immediately and let it fully cool before touching it. Please contact us at info@flyingfarmcandles.com if you suspect a candle is burning too hot!
Why did a portion of my candle turn yellow? Our candles do not have an UV inhibitors added so if they are exposed to direct sunlight or to florescent lighting for long periods, the exposed wax may turn yellow. This is normal, especially in scents with vanilla, and it does not in any way effect the candle; however, if you prefer to avoid this, keep the candles out of the direct sunlight and close the lids when not in use in florescent lighting.
What are the candles made of? Our candles are hand crafted using all-natural wax comprised of soy wax and botanical oils. We use different wicks for different containers but all of our wicks are made of cotton and some have a small filament of paper. None of our wicks contain any lead or zinc.
Why soy wax? Soy is a better choice than paraffin for many reasons but the biggest reason is how it is derived. Paraffin is made from the waste product of petroleum refining and retains petro-carbons which are released into your air when you burn paraffin candles. Soy wax is created from soybeans which are natural, biodegradable, and a renewable resource that is grown by American farmers. Soy wax is also slower burning than paraffin wax so it lasts longer.
Are soy candles soot-free? While may soy candle makers claim their candles are soot-free, the truth is that 100% soot-free candles are a myth. Anything that burns a yellow/orange flame is producing some amount of soot. That’s the science of combustion; however, soy wax with cotton wicks produce a cleaner white soot while burning rather than the black soot you see with paraffin which is caused by petro-carbons remaining in the wax from the petroleum refining process from which paraffin wax is made.
Why don't you have colored wax? We love color and have actually tested using dyes in our candles; however, we ultimately chose not to use dyes in our candles because the candles with dye required larger wicks to be able to burn fully and typically ended up producing more soot in the process. We also saw a huge increase in mushrooming wick, and the dyes tended to inhibit the scent throw. That's a deal breaker for us! Our primary focus is on scent throw, so we will leave colored wax to those makers who focus on more decorative candles.
I would like to reuse the jar. How do I clean it out? Soy wax is so much easier to clean out than paraffin! Once your candle is finished, the wick is extinguished, and the jar is cool enough to handle, carefully pour any liquid wax remaining into the trash (or into an electric tart melter if you have one). If the wick remains, it can usually be popped out with a spoon, especially after a soak in hot water. We recommend rinsing the jar out so no chunks or blobs of wax remain, then soak the jar in hot water and dish soap until all the residue releases. Hot water and dish soap break up the biodegradable wax so it is safe to wash it down the drain. Then hand wash with detergent and rinse. The glass jars CAN go in the dishwasher, but we recommend a thorough hand washing first until no trace of wax or fragrance oil remains just to be sure fragrance oil isn’t disbursed in your dishwasher. The label can be removed by soaking in hot water, then cleaning any residue with a mixture of dish soap and baking soda.
Avoid over soaking the metal tins for long periods as they can rust, but rinsing and washing the tins in hot water works just as well on them.
***We DO NOT recommend placing candles in the microwave to melt remaining wax. The wick holder is metal and can cause sparking if the wax is low, and wicks have been known to reignite in microwaves!***
