dabbledoya Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Yesterday a co-worker came up to me and said that she had 2 of her tumblers burning--well, she went to bed early 'thinking' her DH would put them out. Welp! You guessed, he didn't, and they burned all night. She said one had burned out completely, and the other one still had a little wax left and the flame was still going. HER point was that she was ill at her DH for 'wasting' her candles lol. I proceeded to let her know that I was sorry that her candles got used up, but isn't she glad that they were safe? And then I let her know to pleaasse be careful and not let that happen again lol!Just writing this to let folks know who are just getting into candlemaking that somewhere, sometime down the line this will happen to one of your candles! Make sure and test ALL your candles--every container, every scent, and don't forget to power burn for safety--I'm sure glad I did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackCrow Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Good point!!!! But what scares me still is that even though you test and test and test you dont actually test the candle that the customer is getting. What I mean is that you could have tested that particular candle with that wax, wick, dye, jar, FO, etc and all went great. BUT, there is always that chance beyond your control where maybe your supplier changed suppliers wehre they get those wicks from or that dye and didnt tell you and you think its the same and you go and sell it, feeling condident and poof! you have a bad candle that you did not know about. I have heard of this happening, where suppliers get changed and you just dont know.Anyway, needless to say, no matter how much we test and test our products I dont think anyone should be leaving them along like that. It just amazes me how many people leave a candle unattended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1_AJ Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Yup, I recently had a customer tell me he gave one of my candles to a friend, who burned it 24/7 until it was gone. I hope the look of horror on my face wasn't too shocking for his system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAngels Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Testing is important but also its important to me to let everyone know about candle safety, I always tell them the correct way to burn a candle plus give out information to that effect. I feel better knowing that I did both:cheesy2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I had given a lady I work with a candle to evaluate for me. I had tested and felt it was good - just looking for other opinions. She came back and said it was great! It was still burning in the morning...all the others she had gotten before had burned out before she got up! No more testers for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyvega Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I had given a lady I work with a candle to evaluate for me. I had tested and felt it was good - just looking for other opinions. She came back and said it was great! It was still burning in the morning...all the others she had gotten before had burned out before she got up! No more testers for her!omg. what is wrong w/people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixisprkl Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I don't sell, but my fear is just ignorant people. I have family that loves candles and they buy them all the time. They have read the warning labels about properly trimming wicks.... and I have told them and trimmed the wicks myself in their presence. Do they learn? NOPE. The next time I am at their house, they light a candle with a huge burnt up wick on it thats smoking like a chimney with a HUGE flame and they want to power burn the thing. :rolleyes2But if it burns down the house.... they can try to make the candle maker liable?? THAT scares me most, aside from someone trying to make a quick buck and not testing their candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesprite7 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I had given a lady I work with a candle to evaluate for me. I had tested and felt it was good - just looking for other opinions. She came back and said it was great! It was still burning in the morning...all the others she had gotten before had burned out before she got up! No more testers for her!Oh geez..I would cut her off too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Some of us do forget to put them out. On more than one occasion I have woke up to a candle burning. I am very careful too! Luckily we are still here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I had given a lady I work with a candle to evaluate for me. I had tested and felt it was good - just looking for other opinions. She came back and said it was great! It was still burning in the morning...all the others she had gotten before had burned out before she got up! No more testers for her!Hey Bud, send her to burning candles safely class. And you can be the teacher I'm beginning to think people should have to take a safety class and get a license before being allowed to burn candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happychandler Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Make sure and test ALL your candles--every container, every scent, and don't forget to power burn for safety--I'm sure glad I did!What is power burn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILikeWaxMelts Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 What is power burning?I Believe it is Burning the same candle all day Or for more than 5+ hours at a time. Somebody Correct me if I'm wrong! Please.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavenScentU Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 That is crazy. When I had my storefront a lady would always come in and buy a candle. Every week she would buy a few candles. I never thought to ask her anything but she finally said "These are nice candles, I went to bed, went to church, went for brunch and the candles were still burning...My heart and jaw hit the floor. I was so shocked I just looked at her. I don't know if the shock on my face scared her but I just couldn't believe what she told me. Some people just don't get it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Hey, since we're discussing this.....I'm giving some away at Christmas and I want to print up a page (or however long it ends up being) of safety tips and how to get the most out of your candle. What all would you include on this page? So far I've got don't leave it unattended, burn to a full melt pool to prevent tunneling, burn 3-4 hours each time, trim wicks to 1/4" of just slightly less, votives are safer if placed inside another fireproof container. What else do I need to add and/or flesh those ideas out to?Darbla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixisprkl Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Hey, since we're discussing this.....I'm giving some away at Christmas and I want to print up a page (or however long it ends up being) of safety tips and how to get the most out of your candle. What all would you include on this page? So far I've got don't leave it unattended, burn to a full melt pool to prevent tunneling, burn 3-4 hours each time, trim wicks to 1/4" of just slightly less, votives are safer if placed inside another fireproof container. What else do I need to add and/or flesh those ideas out to?DarblaBurn it on a fire resistant surface... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriegsxr6 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 i agree. I have done controlled power burns just to see what would happen. so far no disasters with my wick/jar/candle combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Keep away from kids, pets, drafts, curtains, towels, kitchen cabinets.Too bad they can't burn in a vacuum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I had one of my customers come up to me recently and ask when am I doing my shows because he needed some more of my candles--because they were the only "safe" candles he had ever found. Curious what he meant by "safe" candles, I asked him. He said they were the only candles he has found that when he forgets to put them out, burn safely after long periods! He said he has left the house and gone to bed with them burning and they are still burning fine when he returns/gets up! I about died and told him there wasn't a "safe" candle and let him know of the possibility of fire once that candle burns under 1/2 inch--he was quite surprised and it also let me know that he hasn't bothered reading my safety and burning instructions that are on each candle and also on a card I hand out and discuss with each sale. You can only try so hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyBean Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 I about died and told him there wasn't a "safe" candle and let him know of the possibility of fire once that candle burns under 1/2 inch--he was quite surprised and it also let me know that he hasn't bothered reading my safety and burning instructions that are on each candle and also on a card I hand out and discuss with each sale. You can only try so hard!This is a good point. We know a lot of times customers dont bother to read the warning label, and I will admit to being one of them before I got into this. I never left one burning all night or left the house with one lit, but I will admit to being a power burner because I had no idea it was a bad thing. That said, I think including a safety card/paper along with the candle is a great idea. Of course there will be those who toss it, but there will also be those who read it. Had I got such a paper along with my candle, I would have read it long before just a label. (as you can tell, I bought a lot of dollar store type candles where I should have been getting them from those who make them, I know I know, I was bad :embarasse ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Candelishis Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Hey, since we're discussing this.....I'm giving some away at Christmas and I want to print up a page (or however long it ends up being) of safety tips and how to get the most out of your candle. What all would you include on this page? So far I've got don't leave it unattended, burn to a full melt pool to prevent tunneling, burn 3-4 hours each time, trim wicks to 1/4" of just slightly less, votives are safer if placed inside another fireproof container. What else do I need to add and/or flesh those ideas out to?DarblaI have a sheet saved on my computer, it's got a cute little candle graphic at the top and a list of safety tips. I can email it to ya if you would like, just PM me with your email addy.I can't believe how freaking stupid people can be...my own family included. This is a little off-topic here, but my father is the fire chief in the town I grew up in. My brother is a firefighter in a large city around us. My mom helps out at fires all the time, taking them water, food, etc if they're out for a long time. I'm a paramedic and former firefighter. It's in our blood. You would think that nobody in my family would have a problem with fire safety. In March, my parents' house almost burned to the ground. My mom "didn't know" that you should clean the exhaust on the dryer out once every so often...they've lived there for 30 years and had the same dryer for 15 years and she never cleaned out the plastic exhaust tube that comes out of the back of the dryer.... Good thing they live across the street from the fire station! Even now, after their lives are just returning to normal and their new house is finally done, I walked into their new kitchen last week and mom had a candle burning on the counter. I walked over to it and looked at the underside of the cabinet above it....pointed out the scorch ring to her. She doesn't do that anymore And daddy wasn't real happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moneypenny's Soysations Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 To add to all of these horror stories, I have one of my own! A lady at work bought one of my eucolyptis spearmint candles. The following Monday morning she came and told me she really loved it. She said it was an awesome candle, she had lit it in her guest bathroom and forgot about it for 2 Days!!!!! My legs nearly gave out from under me!!!! OMG!!! I just felt sick inside. Then she said that it burned evenly just as I had said and the scent throw was amazing! I had given her burning instructions as do with all of my customers but she said she just simply forgot about it! She said the jar was not even hot! I was floored! I said I was ever so thankful nothing happened but please please please don't do that again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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