How to Keep Candles from Making a Mess

Save your furniture from stuck-on wax  and keep your candles clean with everyday items.

Clean Candles Easily

If your have some beautiful candles that have begun to get dusty, cleaning them is easy. Just ball up some old pantyhose and rub them down. Its microfiber is perfect for picking up the dirt without harming your candle.

Drip-Free Candles

To keep candles from dripping, soak them in a strong salt-water solution after purchasing. To make sure your salt water is as strong as possible, heat up some water and add salt until it won’t dissolve anymore—then you’ll know the water is completely saturated. Leave your candles in this solution for two hours, then remove and dry.

Candle Storage

Store your candles in the freezer. Once you light them, they’ll go hours before they start dripping.

Keep Candleholders Clean

To prevent wax from sticking to a candleholder, rub a thin coat of olive oil on the base of the holder before lighting the candle. If your holder already has some wax buildup, mix olive oil with dish soap to clean it out.

Wax Off

If you’re trying to remove small bits of wax stuck to metal candlesticks, there’s an easy fix: Just run them under hot water. The heat will melt the remaining wax, so you can wipe it away.

Cleaner Candlesticks

If you like to use candles at your holiday gatherings, you know what a pain it can be to clean the candle holders. Next time, try rubbing a little bit of petroleum jelly inside each holder. When the candle burns down, you’ll be able to remove the remaining wax with ease, making holiday clean-up much faster.

Keep Them from Sticking

To keep votive candles from sticking to their holders after a night of wax run-off, add a little sand or water to the bottom of the holder before you light the candle. This will keep the wax from making a mess at the bottom.

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Photo by Who Knew?