Why Does My Candle Jar Turn Black? Causes and Easy Fixes
Black rings on the glass are soot — and they are almost always preventable. What causes them and how to clean the jar.
Avnika Creations यांच्याकडून
You light a candle, and a few evenings later the inside of the glass has a grey-black ring. That's soot — tiny particles of unburned carbon. It looks worrying, but it is nearly always caused by how the candle is burned, and it is easy to prevent.
The usual causes
- A long wick. The flame grows tall and flickers, burning incompletely. Trim to 5 mm before each burn.
- Draughts. Fans, AC vents and open windows make the flame dance and smoke.
- Very long burns. After about four hours, wicks start to mushroom. Blow out, cool, trim and relight later.
- A deep jar near the end. As the wax gets lower, less air reaches the flame. Stop when about 1 cm remains.
Cleaning soot off the glass
While the candle is cool, wipe the inside rim with a dry paper towel or a soft cloth dampened with a little rubbing alcohol. Avoid dropping debris into the wax. When the candle is finished, wash the jar in warm soapy water and it will look new.
Blowing out without smoke
Blowing a candle out sends up a puff of smoke. Instead, use a snuffer, or dip the wick into the liquid wax with a wick dipper and straighten it again — no smoke, and the wick is primed for next time.
Clean jars are worth keeping. See 12 ways to reuse your candle jar.
