How to Use Wax Melts, Tarts, and Cubes?

One of the best things about having your own home is that you can make it smell exactly as you’d like it to. An easy way to do that is with candles. But candles aren’t always an option. Whether you live in an apartment that doesn’t allow candles or you have young children and don’t want an open flame, candles may not be a choice for you. Wax melts are a great alternative for this. But, you may be asking, how do you use these?

The most common way to use wax melts, tarts, or cubes, is to place them in a wax warmer and let the warmer do the work for you. By using the wax warmer, you get the same affect as you would if you were burning a candle. Depending on the strength of the melts, the scent will be thrown throughout the room and can possibly be smelled throughout your home.

While using a wax warmer is the most conventional way to use wax melts, tarts, and cubes, it isn’t the only way. You can boil water and use that to melt the cubes or you can use a mason jar and a tealight candle to act as a makeshift warmer. Whether you choose to use an actual wax warmer or use a hack to melt your wax cubes, melting wax cubes is a great way to add fragrance to your home.

What are Wax Melts, Cubes, and Tarts?

If you are living in a situation where you can’t or don’t want to use candles because they have an open flame, wax melts are a great alternative. But what are they?

Wax melts are small bricks of wax that you can melt in order to throw fragrance throughout your home, very similar to a candle. The difference is that wax melts don’t require a wick and flame to allow it to melt. Instead, you use a wax warmer to melt them. There are two main types of wax warmers. You can choose a warmer that uses a tealight or one that uses electricity to power a lightbulb.

When you use the warmer to melt the cubes, tarts, or wax melts, the wax will pool up inside the melting dish and, after being used for some time, the wax will lose its fragrance. Unlike a candle, though, the wax won’t evaporate. This is because the warmer doesn’t get the wax hot enough to evaporate. So, you’ll eventually be left with unscented wax.

This wax can then be reused, if you so choose. You can just melt the wax and add a few drops of fragrance oil or essential oil to create a newly fragranced wax cube. With the amount of fragrance oils and essential oil varieties on the market, the fragrance blend possibilities are endless.

Using Wax Cubes, Melts, and Tarts

There are several easy steps to take when using wax melts. In this section, I’ll go over exactly what you need to do in order to successfully use wax melts to add fragrance to your home.

Choose Your Melts

The first thing you need to do when getting ready to use wax melts, is to choose what fragrance or brand you want to use. There are so many different varieties on the market that it can be hard to choose the right ones for you. Keep in mind the same standards you have with candles.

If you’re looking for a long lasting wax melt, you’re going to find ones that are made with soy wax or a soy wax blend. If you want a very strong scent throw, look for wax cubes made out of paraffin wax. Whatever kind of wax you choose, there are plenty of brands that sell high quality wax melts using either type of wax.

You should also keep the fragrance in mind when you’re choosing your wax melts. If you’re looking for a truly authentic fragrance, you’ll want to find wax cubes made with essential oils. But, if you’re mainly interested in a strong fragrance, then artificial fragrances will work well for you. There are also wax melts that are made with a combination of essential oils and fragrance oils so you get a strong, authentic scent.

Read our full review on Best Wax Melts.

Place Your Melts in the Warmer

Once you’ve chosen your wax melts, place one or two cubes in your melting dish. You won’t need more than that, unless otherwise directed by the wax melt packaging. Aside from that, two wax melts will be more than enough to fill a room with whatever fragrance you’ve chosen.

When you’re placing your wax melts in your warming dish, make sure the dish is clean of any lingering wax or any debris that can get mixed in with the wax. By making sure your warming dish is clean, you’re preventing your wax melts from becoming dirty, which can compromise the fragrance it gives off.

Turn Your Warmer On

The next step you take is turning your warmer on. There are two types of warmers that you can use. If you’re in a situation where you’re able to use candles, you have the option of using a tealight wax warmer. With this warmer, you have a compartment at the base of the product where you place a tealight candle. When you light the candle, the flame warms the wax, allowing it to melt.

If you’re unable to have candles in your home or don’t want to, then an electric wax warmer is the more plausible option for you. With this warmer, you have a switch either on the cord or on the back of the product that turns on the device. Others turn on when you plug them into the wall. When you turn the device on, a lightbulb will turn on and will warm up and melt the wax melts.

Enjoy Your Melts

Now it’s time to let the warmers do the work so you can enjoy your wax melts. The warmer will melt the wax and fragrance will be thrown as it does so. Within no time at all, your home will be filled with whatever wonderful fragrance you’ve chosen.

While you’re enjoying your melts, you should consider mixing fragrances the next time you use your warmer. Instead of just using one fragrance of wax melts, you can mix a few different fragrances. This will create a unique fragrance that you’ve personalized to what you enjoy.

Turn Off Your Warmer

After you’ve enjoyed your wax melts, it’s time to turn off your warmer. If you’re using a tealight wax warmer, you should extinguish the flame no later than 8 hours of using it. An electric wax warmer can be used for a longer time of up to 10 hours.

With some electric wax warmers, there are even timers that you can set so the device turns off by itself. The timer is helpful for people who have a busy schedule and could possibly forget to turn off their warmer on their own.

You don’t have this luxury with tealight warmers, though. One of the most important things to remember with a tealight warmer is to extinguish it. Because it has an open flame, you shouldn’t let the warmer burn in a room that you’re not in so extinguishing it should be easy to remember.

Store Your Melts

Now that your warmer is turned off, let your melted wax sit for a few minutes to cool down a bit. You don’t want to let it sit so long that the wax hardens, but you don’t want to burn yourself when you transfer the wax.

Once the melting dish is cooled enough to where it won’t burn you when you pick it up, it’s time to transfer the wax to a different container. When you’re choosing a container to store you melts in, you want to find an airtight container. By using an airtight container, you’re making sure that the fragrance left in the melts isn’t dissipating while you’re not using them. A great container to use is the original container the melts came in.

Once you have them sealed in the container, find a cool, dark place to store the container. If you’re storing them in your kitchen, make sure it’s in a drawer away from the stove because if the wax heats up while you’re cooking or baking, it will lose fragrance.

After you’ve completed this step, your wax melts are ready to repeat these steps over again.

What to Use if You Don’t Have a Wax Warmer

Not having a wax warmer doesn’t mean you can’t use wax melts. While it’s not as convenient as using a wax warmer, there are other options you can utilize to use your wax melts.

One way you can use your wax melts is by placing a tealight in the bottom of a mason jar and light it. Next, grab a small dish or bowl and cover it with tinfoil. Place the prepared bowl on top of the opening for the mason jar. Next, put one or two wax melts in the dish and let the tealight warm and melt them.

Another way to use your wax melts without the warmer is to use boiling water. With this method, you’re going to bowl water in a medium sized pot on your stove. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, wrap tin foil around the inside of a smaller pot. This will ensure that you’ll have an easy time cleaning up after you’ve finished.

Once the water is boiling, put a wax melt or two inside the small pot. Place the small pot in the boiling water. The heat from the water will melt the wax and the fragrance will spread throughout the room.

These two hacks are helpful in a pinch, but they definitely don’t hold up compared to a wax warmer. But, if you don’t have a warmer and want to melt your wax cubes, these hacks will definitely get the job done.

Final Thoughts

Using wax melts, cubes, or tarts is a great way make your home smell exactly how you want it to. These products are incredibly convenient and are a great alternative to using candles. Even if you don’t own a wax warmer, you can still use melts by making your own warmer with products you probably already have in your home.