A DIY blogger shared her simple way for making expensive candles last longer, with no need for throwing them away
Candles can offer a little bit of ambiance and cosiness to your home, but some can cost an arm and a leg. Although it’s tempting to burn through an entire candle in one day, you don’t want to make sure those pricey waxes go to waste.
However, there is a way you can make your expensive candles last longer without the need for throwing them away. Lifestyle and DIY TikToker Mel, also known as @littleterracedhouse, has shared her nifty way of making candles go the distance.
In a video from earlier this month, Mel wrote: “I hate it when you get a spenny candle and it burns down unevenly leaving you with loads of wasted wax! This is how I make sure I get my money’s worth (you can just make wax melts if you don’t randomly have candle making apparatus laying around). Don’t leave candles unattended, use common sense and use candle safe jars.”
She continued: “So you know when you’ve had an expensive candle and it burns down like this? This is how you can make sure none of that deliciously scented wax goes to waste.”
To complete the hack, you’ll need to boil your kettle. Mel explained: “First of all, you need to just fill it up with hot water. Gradually your wax will come to the top and form a sort of film which you can then crack open and either use these bits as wax melts, or if you want to go one step further, if you happen to have the equipment, remake your candle.”
To remake your candle, you’ll need a new wick. You’ll need to melt the wax back down by placing it into a plastic, heatproof cup or container, before putting it into a pan with boiled water from a kettle.
Once the wax has melted into a liquid, pour it back into the candle jar and wait for it to set. When it’s set, trim the wick. Mel estimated that her recyclable hack allows for a further three to four hours of burn time.
Mel’s TikTok has been viewed over a massive 3.3million times, receiving 83,700 likes and 300 comments. It is possible to melt candle wax in the microwave, Candle Shack UK instructed transferring the wax to a microwavable container.
To avoid overheating, remove the wax from the microwave when a small quantity of solid wax is still there. The wax should then be stirred until it’s completely melted. The candle experts warned of the problems of using a water bath to melt wax.
They wrote: “It can be hazardous. You are handling a pan of boiling water, bubbling away with another pan balanced on top of it or inside it – this creates a high risk of burning or scalding.
“2) It can also ruin your product – with all that water boiling and splashing around, you could easily get water mixed with your candle wax. Water and wax make a bad combination.
“3) Also, think about the planet – water is a precious resource. Why would you want to boil all that water and then throw it away every time?”
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