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I like a scented candle. Primarily because my partner is a WFH childminder and it masks the smell of toddler shit wafting into my office.
I've got a half-kilo Yankee Candle in here. The wick is shot and won't burn for more than a few seconds but there's like 2cm of wax still left in it. That's a smaller candle in its own right and it seems wrong just to toss it out. So.
a) Can anyone give me tips to revive / recover it and
b) Are there better bang-for-your-buck options than Yankee? I've bought cheap supermarket own-brands before now but they don't smell of anything once lit and appear to be made of something strange which isn't wax.
Not a candle-ist but wondering whether a reed diffuser or an electric oil diffuser would suit. Reed diffuser can be left alone for weeks/months before it needs refilling along with reeds being replaced. An electric one I would imagine may need refilling during the day although have no experience of these.
Always make sure the whole of the top of the candle is liquid before you blow it out.
Yankee aren't worth paying for. Incandescent or Potters Crouch are really good budget candles.
Imagine a cheap non perfumed candle that is then enrobed with a thin layer of perfumed wax. That's yankee. You get a big hit from the top and then nothing.
Just to add that it's worth considering buying a product called Augeo Clean Multi Oil (available on Ebay) and this will make your oil go further. Use in a ratio of 25% Augeo to 75% diffuser oil. Reeds are easily available in various designs.
I wouldn’t be inhaling fumes from such “natural” or otherwise. Some nasty chemicals in candles/oils.
Yeah candles are a no from me. More chemicals from a candle than burning a jam jar full of diesel. Allegedly.
You could just buy some wicks then melt down the wax (bain marie) and make a new candle.
These things are basically scented oils in paraffin wax, pretty much everything else is branding. So buy cheap ones you like the smell of. Or make your own.
Agree with houns to a degree. Marginally better than sucking diesel fumes all day. Buy some nice plants instead - citrus etc. smell nice.
Fumes? It's a candle.
Well there must be fumes, or you'd not smell it! How large the health risks are though, I'm not overly panicked.
Soy wax apparently releases fewer toxins but its throw doesn't match that of beeswax. Could be worth taking a punt.
Just looked this up as we were given a nice candle for christmas, that burnt the wick away.. I had previous thrown it in the oven (after cooking) to melt the wax level again, just need new wicks.
Fumes? It's a candle.
Well there must be fumes, or you'd not smell it! How large the health risks are though, I'm not overly panicked.
You'd be supprised, when I moved into my current house, the previous owners had a display of picture frames in the lounge, above a small shelf - big back picture frame shaped rectangular soot marks on the wall from candles burning!
I'd get essintail oils (real onces, not artificialy fragranced oil).
Some of these:
https://www.calmer-solutions.com/
With something like this:
When I first started dating Mrs Zip we had a romantic dinner in London lit entirely by candles. I'm not too clever with fumes due to being sensitised in my previous job.
I told her we had to leave, got back to our hotel room where I soon became delirious and medical assistance sought. To this day I can't be in a room with a cheap candle.
Lidl do loads of great smelling candles. You’re just being a mug if you think you need to spend out on Yankee ones, but its your choice
What you need is a seal blubber candle. Guaranteed to mask the smell of toddler
Ive actually got a proper beeswax candle, mate of mine keeps bees. It smells lightly of honey which is lovely, and bees are cool, so id try and get one of them.
Alternatively you can get massive candles in your local chapel. Although what with the Papa being poorly just now, they could be in short supply
Big wax melt fan here, trouble with the big candles is you have to light them for absolutely ages at a time or they can burn wrong and you waste half of it. Wax melts are much easier in comparison. My preferred retailer is https://villagewaxmelts.com/
Big wax melt fan here
A little while ago I bought a pack of assorted wax melts from a local backroom industry type place. I didn't particularly want them but, support local business and all that.
The first couple were pleasant enough, the next was "christ, what the hell is that?" I went back to check the packaging. "Dettol." WTF?!
Dettol must be from the Mandle(tm) range.
So it smells like you cleaned but you can do something far more productive with your time.
Big wax melt fan here
Compared to scented candles I find melts much more effective. Plus a small tea light burns for a 'just right' amount of time IME compared to a scented candle which inevitably I'll forget about.
Don't use them regularly but we got a few from Ikea a while ago that were pretty good.
They have some really weird flavours too, ranging from "that's nice" through "ooh that's amazing but I wouldn't want my house smelling of it" and "interesting..." all the way to "WTAF! Why??"
Anyway. The few we bought smelled good and kept their strength throughout the candle.
I've not used them. How essential are they, really?
It's essential as in 'contains essence' rather than 'can't live without.' HTH.
Yes a small tealight for me is the perfect length of time and the melts last a few burns each time. Crazy easy to swap, can't say I've come across a Detol scented one mind!
It's not pretty but,
A bag of replacement wicks off ebay, a bain-marie and a pasta sauce jar later, we have a replacement candle. Thanks all.
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I see you’re sorted now @cougar, but I’d recommend an oil diffuser rather than candles.
The Wife has one from Neal’s Yard, been in use for a few years. A measure of water with a few drops of essential oil and it runs for hours. No nasty chemicals that can be found in some candles and you can change the scent at will, rather than having a collection of huge Yankee jars.
I've used reed diffusers before. They seem to last about ten minutes.
Do you mean an oil burner? Like, some sort of ornament you stick a tealight underneath? I think I've got one of those somewhere, I certainly did prior to the house move. The only issue with those is monitoring them so that they don't run dry.
Yes a small tealight for me is the perfect length of time and the melts last a few burns each time. Crazy easy to swap, can't say I've come across a Detol scented one mind!
Ikea do some Duck scented ones (the toilet cleaner, not the animal. Though I wouldn't put it past them to try it)
Sixty quid for an air freshener? I think I'll stick with my Tesco Bolognese jar. Thanks though. Maybe if it was going in the living room rather than my bolt hole.
Lower cost non-Neal’s Yard ones are available elsewhere. They all do the same thing.
Sixty quid for an air freshener? I think I'll stick with my Tesco Bolognese jar. Thanks though. Maybe if it was going in the living room rather than my bolt hole.
I've got quite a decent 'traditional' oil burner.. But it has quite a big (and removable) reservoir/top bit, whatever it's called.
If you buy the smaller tea lights they burn out before they have evaporated all the oil /water mixture. The smaller ones are the same circumference but almost half as tall at a guess.