Diffusers and candles perform a different function and
together they form a partnership. Think of them as you would your all over body
lotion and then adding the finishing touch with a light spray of the matching
perfume. Sell them as companions.
Diffusers have a lighter scent that continuously wafts
through the room. They are best situated near entrances, however do not place
them near heater vents as heat will evaporate the liquid and may also change
the chemical balance in the mixture. If you are going away for an extended
period of time then you may choose to place the sticks in a ziplock bag and
screw the top back on the bottle. If there is no lid then place a small piece
of glad wrap around the top and secure with a rubber band. When the diffuser is
finished don’t throw away your dried sticks, just sticky tape them onto the lid
of your rubbish bin or place them in your linen closet (make sure they are dry
so you don’t leave stains on your linen).
Candles create ambience and add a romantic flavour, people
just gravitate to a flame, especially a beautifully scented one. They have a
much stronger scent than a diffuser and are fantastic to light up as a booster
to your diffuser. Burning them for two-four hours is usually recommended for a
big room, less for a smaller room. Burning time differs from candle to candle.
Candles encased in glass are not to be left burning longer than 2-4 hours at any
given time, the glass should not reach the point where it is too hot to handle
as it may crack. Always place candles on a level surface that is heat resistant
and avoid draughty areas. In draughty areas the candle must be secured in a
glass container.
Efficient use of candles
Wicks should be trimmed to 1/8 inch above the wax before lighting
including the initial light. Most wicks will form a mushroom after burning for
some time, when this happens just snip the mushroom off before relighting. The
reason for a shorter wick is so that the candle does not create a high flame. A
high flame will not only burn faster, therefore not lasting as long, but it
will also begin to smoke causing soot marks on your walls and ceiling. To trim
the wick use either a candle trimmer, a small pair of scissors or a nail
clipper.
Due to health warnings, all wicks must be lead and cadmium free,
the wax is to be paraffin free and scented candles should be free of/or have
low VOC’s. VOCs are volatile organic compounds and are generally to be avoided
in products used in the home in the interests of a healthy atmosphere. A braided
or twisted fibre wick is considered safer to use. If anyone suffers from severe
asthma then a diffuser is the way to go over candles, provided they can
tolerate even that.
Tunnelling is when a deep dip in the candle surface appears
around the wick. For tunnelling not to appear, don’t blow candles out before
the entire surface area has melted. This will ensure that the next time you
relight the candle will burn evenly. If tunnelling has occurred then you can
simply use the trick of wrapping a piece of foil around the glass when lit,
this will heat up the surface area evenly.
A safe method of cleaning candle jars with paraffin or
beeswax is to place them in the freezer for a couple of hours. When the wax is
frozen then carefully use a knife to crack and pry bits of wax away. Wait until
the glass has reached room temperature and then fill the jar with hot soapy
water. Leave for a few minutes before washing away all the remaining wax. With
Soy wax there is no need to place in the freezer, just fill the container with
hot soapy water and scrub. Candle jars can then be used to hold anything and
can be very decorative holding something colourful, like jellybeans.
