Brooke Martin
There are several ways to extinguish a candle, and the best method for you will depend on your candle type and personal preference. Blowing out a candle is straightforward, but it can cause smoke and soot to linger, and it may not be suitable for scented candles. To avoid this, you can use a candle snuffer, which is a long stick with a bell at the end that extinguishes the flame without creating smoke. Alternatively, you can use a wick dipper to push the wick into the wax, instantly extinguishing the flame and preventing smoke. If your candle came in a jar with a non-flammable lid, you can also carefully place the lid on the jar to suffocate the flame, but be aware that this may cause the candle to become sooty and smell burnt.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Blowing | Inhale and purse your lips together, then blow a thin stream of air onto the flame. |
| Using a lid | Place the lid on the candle jar without pushing down until the flame goes out. |
| Using a snuffer | Hold the snuffer just above the flame to snuff it out. |
| Using a wick dipper | Push the wick into the wax using the dipper. |
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What You'll Learn
Blowing out the flame
Blowing out a candle is the most obvious and straightforward way to extinguish a flame. However, there are certain techniques and precautions to be aware of. Firstly, it is important to leave the candle burning until the wax has melted all the way across the top. This is to prevent 'tunneling', where the candle remembers its previous melt point and fails to melt beyond that point in the future, leaving a coating of unusable wax.
When you are ready to blow out the flame, position your face close to it, with the wick at mouth level. Avoid hovering directly over the candle, as the rising heat could burn your skin. Purse your lips together and blow a thin stream of air to extinguish the flame in one quick gust. Be careful not to blow too hard, as this can cause hot wax to spray, creating a mess or even causing minor burns. Keep blowing until the flame is completely out.
Stand clear of the smoke to avoid getting soot on your skin or clothes, and always ensure you are in a well-ventilated area. Blowing out a candle can cause issues with wax, such as unevenness and tunneling, and it can also emit a lot of smoke, which may be unpleasant and overpower the scent of the candle.
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Using a candle snuffer
Candle snuffers are bell, cylinder, pyramid, or disc-shaped cones with handles on one end. When placed over a lit wick, they cut off the oxygen supply to the flame, causing it to extinguish. To use a candle snuffer effectively, follow these steps:
- Hold the snuffer by its handle and gently hover it over the wick without dipping it into the wax. Ensure that the snuffer does not bump against the wick to avoid debris dropping into the wax.
- Lower the bell-shaped end of the snuffer towards the flame and fully envelope the flame without touching the wax.
- Hold the snuffer in this position for at least one full second or up to two to three seconds. You may see a small wisp of smoke escape from around the edges of the bell.
- Once the flame is fully extinguished, carefully remove the snuffer.
- Cover the candle with a lid after extinguishing the flame, especially if the snuffer is made of metal, to prevent the smoke from escaping and affecting the scent of the candle.
- Store the snuffer in a safe, out-of-the-way place to cool down.
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Dipping the wick in wax
To use this method, you will need a wick dipper or any long stick. You can also use household items such as a pencil. Simply use your tool to push the wick into the pool of melted wax that forms beneath the flame. This will instantly extinguish the flame.
Take care not to burn yourself on the hot wax or the flame when dipping the wick. It is also important to note that this method can ruin your candle if not done correctly. If you are not careful, you may end up with wax on the outside of the candle or the container.
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Using the candle's lid
While it is possible to use the candle's lid to extinguish a flame, there are several reasons why this may not be the best method. Firstly, when the oxygen gets used up, it can create a vacuum seal that suctions the lid tightly to the candle jar, making it difficult to open again. Secondly, the lid traps the smoke in the candle, infusing it back into the melted wax and possibly altering its scent. This can also leave soot on the wick and candle wax, making you lose some of your favourite fragrances.
If you do choose to use the lid to extinguish your candle, it is recommended that you do not put the lid on tightly. Instead, place the lid on the jar without pushing down on it until the flame goes out, then blow the smoke away so that none gets trapped in the wax.
Lids are primarily decorative and are designed to keep your candles clean by preventing dust and debris from entering the jar. They also preserve the lifespan of scented candles by preventing the fragrance from escaping, a phenomenon known as "cold throw".
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Extinguishing without smoke
To extinguish a candle without smoke, you can use a wick dipper, candle snuffer, or lid.
Using a wick dipper is an age-old trick to put out a candle without causing any smoke. A wick dipper is a long metal tool with a flat handle on one end and a thin tip with a bent hook on the other. To extinguish the candle, use the wick dipper to quickly push the wick into the small pool of wax that forms beneath the flame. This method also helps prepare your wick for the next use by recoating it with wax. If you don't have a wick dipper, you can use any long metal tool, such as a spoon or an unbent paperclip. However, the bent hook at the end of the wick dipper makes it easier to bring the wick back up after it's been put out.
Another way to extinguish a candle without smoke is to use a candle snuffer. A candle snuffer is a long-stemmed metal rod with a small cone or bell at the end. To extinguish the candle, hover the cone or bell over the flame and lower it until it just touches the surface of the wax pool, cutting off the oxygen and extinguishing the flame. This method produces slightly more smoke than the wick dipper method but is still minimal. It also looks elegant and sophisticated and prevents debris from falling into the wax pool.
While it is not recommended, using the lid of the candle to extinguish it is another way to put out a candle without causing smoke to escape into the room. However, this method comes with several potential issues. First, it traps the smoke in the candle, which can infuse back into the melted wax and possibly change its fragrance. Second, it can fill the vessel with soot, making it dirty and turning it black. Lastly, putting the lid back on the candle while it is still hot can cause the lid to suction to the vessel and possibly break.
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Frequently asked questions
Using a wick dipper to bend the wick into the wax is the best way to extinguish a candle without smoke.
To prevent tunneling, wait until the entire surface of the candle has melted before blowing out the candle.
When you blow out a candle before the entire surface has melted, the candle will only melt to that point, leaving a coating of unusable wax along the inside of the vessel.
Yes, you can use a candle snuffer, which is a tool that comes in the shape of a stick with a bell at the end. You can also use the lid to suffocate the flame, but this may ruin the candle.
