Just about every home around the world has a candle laying around somewhere. These common household items come in all shapes, sizes, designs, and containers. However, the most common of these containers are glass. Glass is used the most due to its ability to withstand high heat and is considered durable. As with anything in life, nothing is completely certain and the use of glass can result in damage, including exploding.
If you find yourself with a busted candle jar and asking yourself, “Why did my glass candle explode?”, there are two main culprits behind this problem.
Candles that are left to burn for excessive amounts of time can get too hot, causing the glass to be overexposed to heat. The other culprit is due to soot build-up on the wick or in the wax pool at the base of the wick. This soot can actually clog the wick which results in an unpleasant shattering of the glass candle jar.
This issue should not act as a means to deter people from buying candles or using glass jarred candles. In fact, it should instead serve as a means for people to practice safer ways of burning candles. We might all be a little naive in thinking we burn our candles safely.
We put them in clear areas, on flat surfaces, and light them up. However, there is more to the safety behind using candles that should always be implemented. Being a bit more mindful of how we are using candles and putting better safety into practice will reduce the risks of unwanted accidents!
What is the Safest Way to Use a Candle?
It might be common knowledge to some to use candles on flat surfaces, but do you know other safety practices associated with candle usage?
The answer is probably no. This is not to insult anyone, simply to show that we go about our day-to-day without stopping to pay the slightest more attention to the details in things. Below are some other key ways to keep the use of a candle within safe measures!
Tips for Safe Candle Usage
Always cut the wick
Cutting down the wick cannot be expressed enough. Not only does this save glass jars from potentially exploding, but it also creates a better burning candle. It can reduce soot and keeps candles operating at their best. Only up to 1/8in needs to be trimmed off.
Too much trimming could result in the flame not lasting very long. Cutting the wick is best down with a wick cutting tool that is designed for perfect cuts every time. However, scissors can b used as well.
Always keep it away from flammable items
Candles are obviously hot, however, the temperatures of the flames can reach upwards of 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. While this is not directly related to glass breaking, it does prevent fires from catching things aflame. No curtains, fabrics, or other items should ever be placed near or around a burning candle.
Never use a broken jar
“Broken” can imply blemishes, cracks, or imperfections in the glass of the jar. Inspecting the jar before purchasing is absolutely necessary. These imperfections can happen during shipping or stocking. More importantly, glass can crack if the candle is knocked over onto hard surfaces.
When a candle is used with existing damage, it can cause the hot wax to seep out from these cracks, creating a danger for fire risk. It also can aid in the further explosion or shattering of the glass jar. Check this out: Can You Burn a Candle in a Broken Jar?
Store in the right temperature
The perfect storage temperature for a candle is around 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It will not get too hot or too cold and maintain its ability to flicker on just fine. This can also prevent any unwanted glass jar accidents from anything being overheated.
While there are other basic safety protocols for using a candle, these directly affect the use of a glass jar candle. Always use any and all precautions when using candles.
Are There Other Containers for Candles Other than Glass?
As expressed before, there are other containers that can be used for candles but glass is the most popular. Usually, good, quality glass is used to make sure no exploding or damage occurs.
However, once again, accidents happen. Some people might find this possibility of a glass jar exploding just a little unnerving. With that in mind, it is important to know all the other options out there for candle containers.
Most importantly, these container options can be applied to homemade candles as well! Below are the other candle container alternatives!
Candle Container Alternatives
- Metal tins – These come in various sizes and are sometimes associated with outdoor candles like citronella.
- Tealight tins – Tealight tins are small discs that are wonderful for upcycling leftover candle wax!
- Jelly or canning jars – While this is still a “glass” jar, it is one of the best alternatives for candles as they are made to withstand extreme heat. This makes them perhaps more durable than traditional glass jars for candles.
These are the three most popular glass jar alternatives. Metal tin candles can be found almost anywhere. Moreover, these alternatives are great for making your own candles! While some people might not want to get that creative, others may!
Are There Other Items that are Better than Candles?
For those simply not comfortable using glass jar candles, there are other options out there for getting the same benefits of a candle.
The main benefits of a candle are the scent and obviously supplemental lighting. While we aren’t using candles for lighting as they did back in the day, the little light they provide is helpful in certain situations! The following items that can be used instead of candles are directly related to the scents that candles produce.
The scents from candles not only set certain moods but help our spaces simply smell better! Below are other options for getting that classic scent!
Other Options to Use Instead of Candles
Get a wax melter!
These devices are relatively cheap but effective ways to get the scent benefits of candles. Wax melts come in clamshell packing of usually 6 to 8 cubes are melted in a shallow bowl called a wax melter.
This electric device slowly melts the wax producing beautiful scents in the spaces we use them in. The fragrance content of wax melts tends to be more concentrated, resulting in stronger smelling scents.
Another great feature of wax meters is absolutely zero soot production! There is no open flame to create any soot!
Read more about wax melter.
Use incense sticks
Incense sticks have been around for quite some time as well, however, they are better at producing scents. They tend to fill a room of their smell within 10 minutes of lighting them.
The only downfall to incense sticks is that they are more of a fire hazard since the end of the stick is smoldering. They must be used up high and not around any fabrics or flammable items.
Essential Oil Diffuser
Essential oils are truly one of the biggest trends right now. They come in so many scents it is almost overwhelming! Essential oils are a great way to get a space in our homes smelling wonderful, fast.
The diffusers used in combination with these oils are said to start smelling in 10 minutes. While this is a quick way to get a space smelling like a candle, the oils shouldn’t be used excessively and in moderation. This is because they are highly concentrated and give off too much smell at times.
Read our full article on Best Essential Oil Diffusers for Large Space.
Use a flameless candle
Flameless candles are excellent ways to provide light but they can give off some scent as well! While the scent throw (the strength of smell) might be very high on these, they are great for places for bathrooms.
They are super safe and last up thousands of hours between battery changes. Often they come with timers or remotes to make the ease of using them even more convenient!
You might also like Best Flameless Candles.
These are the best options for adding scent to any room of the house! They are better than candles in some cases and add prolonged smells to the rooms they are in.
They are also better than air fresheners which typically only linger their scents for a few minutes. For those looking at other alternatives to candles and their scent benefits, these options will serve them just fine!
Safety First: Don’t Fear Glass Candle Jars!
While some people might find the previous list of alternatives better suited for their scented needs, others still believe in standing true to traditional candles. When that is the case, always practice the safety measures first. Always maintain candles so they not only operate at their prime but also to keep any and all glass components intact.
If you are a die-hard glass candle lover, another option to consider is a candle warmer. Candle warmers are electric devices designed with a hot plate or bulb on it to heat candles up from either the top-down or bottom-up. These are wonderful alternatives as they often use candles without any wicks, making them soot-free like wax melts.
With all this newfound information, any candle shopper can decide on the candle type best for them. Moreover, those people with exploded glass jars or damaged jars can have a bit more insight as to why this happened. They can have peace of mind knowing there is a reason and how to help prevent it in the future!