4 Ways To Reuse Old Candles
It is said that it is much better to light a candle in times of adversity than to simply curse the darkness. The significance of candles varies from person-to-person. Some people use candles for sentimental or religious purposes. Another person may use a candle for therapeutic reasons. Other people use candles for the benefit of aromatic scents. And then there are people who enjoy using candles for their luminosity and aesthetics. The point is that people love candles. However, it is important to get the most out of your candle use. There are many ways that you can reuse old candles to optimize longevity and save money.
Candles are big business. The companies behind wax-making and candle-making rake in a lot of money every year from people like you.
And whether you are aware of it or not, you may be paying premium prices for candles, as though they were luxury items, depending on the time of year or holiday season. If you have a large family, then you are probably spending a lot of money on wax candles every time you say happy birthday.
Wax is the ultimate self-renewable commodity. There is no reason why you should not want to reuse old candles to make new ones.
Before I tell you how you can reuse old candles, let me tell you about how big the wax candle is and how much you pay into it.
Why You Should Reuse Old Candles
So, why should you reuse old candles? Because the candle industry is a multi-billion industry that you pay into every year. And every time you throw away half-used candles and buy new ones you are making that multi-billion industry more valuable.
The candle industry rakes in over $3.1 billion annually. And companies affiliated with the National Candle Association manufacture over 80% of the candles sold in the country.
Over one billion pounds of wax are used every year to manufacture candles in the United States alone.
People usually give candles as a holiday, housewarming, or personal gift.
Most people buy candles for aesthetic purposes. About nine out of ten consumers buy candles to make a room look better or to achieve a coziness effect. Or they buy scented candles for a similar effect.
The scented candle industry is also very big. There are over 10,000 distinct candle scent varieties sold in the United States annually.
And the candle industry knows what time of the year to make the most money – the holidays.
Over 35% of candle inventory sales are made during the holiday season. And the average consumer will pay anywhere between $2 to $200 for candles.
And most people do not buy candles and then store them for later use. Most people will light a candle within one week of purchase.
So, if you buy candles often then you have every reason to reuse old candles. You will save more money and get further longevity out of recycled candles.
How to Reuse Old Candles
The best way to reuse old candles is to carefully melt your old candles and then pour them into a glass jar to make a new candle. This DIY process is easy to do and will save you a lot of money on annual candle expenses.
Here is what you will need:
- Large and small saucepans.
- Old jars or receptacles (never use any receptacle that can burn or melt)
- Oven mitts or construction gloves
- Small spoons or butter knives
- Pre-waxed wicks
- Large tweezers
- Hot glue gun
- Large twist ties
To start off you must begin melting your old candles. And you don’t need to be picky since all candles are made of wax.
If you love candles for their aesthetic purposes, you can make some amazingly wild-looking candles by merging all of your old candles together.
Start by placing a large saucepan on a very low fire. Melting old candles should be a strategically calculated and slow process. You have no excuse for using a high stove heat or trying to rush through the process.
Fill the large saucepan halfway with water and keep refilling it to the halfway point throughout the process.
Then, place the smaller saucepan inside the large saucepan. Melting chocolate employs a similar method. You want to be able to slowly melt your old candles without burning, scorching, or causing them to evaporate quickly.
You can scrape out your old jar candles with a butter knife or spoon.
As you keep the large saucepan replenished with slowly boiling water, place your old candles in the small saucepan. Pick out the old wicks with tweezers.
Prep the New Candle Receptacles
You are better off using old glass jars so you can visually see the candle burning.
Glue a pre-waxed wick to the bottom of the jar with a glue gun. You can use a twist tie to keep the wick vertical. Entangle the wick in the middle of the twist tie and then balance the twist tie on the top of the jar.
Pour the Hot Recycled Wax Into the New Jars
Then, start pouring the melted wax into your prepared jars carefully. If you have a lot of old candles, then you can slowly melt each one and pour them into your prepped jars to make distinct layers.
Leave an inch of space from the top of the jar as you pour in the wax. Cut the wick and leave an inch of the wick as the top.
Using this method to reuse old candles will take time and practice to get right.
3 Other Ways to Reuse Old Candles
You can use an old candle as an organic WD-40 substitute. For example, you can just rub old candles on squeaky door hinges.
Or you can heat the bottom of a wide candle bottom with a lighter for a few seconds and use it as a makeshift cover for wine bottles.
You can even use your old candles as a makeshift pin cushion.
Reuse Old Candles
Make sure that you undertake every safety precaution when reuse old candles to make new ones.
The aim here is to save money on candle expenses, not supplement your medical emergency expenses.
Read More
How to Get Rid of Old Furniture
Senior Citizen Discount Programs: Getting the Most Out of Your Golden Years
Why Credit Score Drops When Nothing Changed
Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
