Like so many of you, I love candles. So much so, that when I redecorated my master bedroom, I lined the walls with sconces - seven to be exact. After falling madly in love with the way my room looked, I quickly ran to my local discount store to buy candles, praying I could find some in the perfect shade of peach. No problem. In fact, when I got to the appropriate aisle, I found two varieties—regular and dripless candles.
I bought the regular variety, because I didn’t want to spend the extra ten dollars for the dripless candles. They looked beautiful! I could not wait for evening so that I could light them and relax in my room. Evening finally came, and relax I did a little too well. When I woke up the next morning I was horrified to find that one of the candles had dribbled down my wall like one of those wine bottles in an Italian restaurant and had puddled onto the floor. Now, I get to replace the wallpaper, again, as well as the carpet in at least one spot. Take a lesson from me, and buy dripless candles if you ever plan to put a match to a wick again!
What are Dripless Candles?
Dripless candles are candles that have the perfect balance between wax and wick. If there is too much on one side or the other, then the candle will drip. There is a claim that “any” type can be a dripless candle under the right set of circumstances, but after experiencing the effects of the “cheaper” variety, I recommend spending a little extra to ensure that your candle is not already out of balance.
After purchasing your dripless candles, there are steps that you must take to guarantee that they remain this way. First, do not burn a candle too close to another. Second, make sure it is relatively level. Third, watch it for a bit to make sure that the wax is burning evenly. Fourth, and finally, always trim the wick to maintain that balance between lightings.
While it is questionable that any candle can be dripless, it is accurate that any dripless candles can become the drippy variety if necessary precautions are not taken. So, don’t get too comfortable in your new master bedroom, like I did. Take the time to make sure that one of your beautiful new candles is not going to drip all down your wall and puddle onto your expensive new carpeting. Your extra care will be well worth it if you can preserve your surroundings and still be able to enjoy the beautiful ambiance of candlelight.
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