Candle Safety Tips for Date Night this Valentine's Day

2/12/2021 (Permalink)

You may be tempted to leave your candles unattended this Valentine's day to move on to more "important" things... Just be sure to be mindful :)

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. When we think of this beloved holiday the first few things that come to mind are chocolates, flowers and… candles! We want you to have a safe date night this year, so here are 7 great tips to keep your evening safe, romantic and free of disaster.

1. Trim the wick. Before lighting a candle, trim the wick to be approximately ¼ inch. This will keep the flame from becoming too large, which can help prevent a home fire.
2. Keep your candles in sight. When there’s a lit candle in the room, you should be there, too. For example, let’s say you light a few candles for a romantic dinner, and then you make your way into another room. If your candles accidentally catch something on fire, you might not know until it’s too late. Staying within the line of sight will help you see if any immediate attention is needed.
3. Use a long match or lighter. Those who play with fire often get burned. Literally. To prevent your hand from getting too close to the flame and potentially scorching yourself (and ruining date night), always use a long match or long lighter to light your candles.
4. Dispose of the match properly. Even if there’s no flame, there’s still heat. So, believe it or not, you can actually start a fire just by throwing a match in the trash. Especially if your flammable materials like tissues and paper from your Valentine’s day gifts. That’s why we recommend running used matches under water before disposing of them.
5. Don’t burn for more than four hours. When your candle is burning, carbon collects on the wick. Letting it go for too long can cause the wick to become unstable and the flame to get too large.
6. Extinguish appropriately. Suffocate the flame by using a “snuffer” or simply putting the lid on a lit candle, the flames will effortlessly (and safely) die down.
7. Pick the perfect spot to enjoy the scent and ambiance. The best place to burn a candle is on a stable, heat-resistant surface. So, in addition to keeping your candle in sight, you should find an area away from children or pets (hopefully you were able to find a sitter!)

If for whatever reason you do experience fire/smoke/soot damage- give us a call at 508-746-9500.