Candle

Romantic Lighting with Candles

Candles have been used for millennia since the glory days of the Roman Empire. They've almost always been used for lighting purposes, although they've also been heavily used throughout religion and, to a lesser extent, to tell time before mechanical clocks were invented. Nowadays, they're mainly used for accent lighting, scents, and aromatherapy, adding a pleasant touch to any home. When you do burn them now, you should only burn them when you're using them, because they don't last forever. In fact, most candles have a maximum burn life of around 15 hours, with specialized products sometimes lasting up to 40 or so hours. Therefore, if you burn them everyday for an hour, most candles will only last about two weeks.

Precautions

Burning candles is always safe when done properly, so you just need to follow a few tips to ensure that safety. For unenclosed candles, stop burning them when they reach about 2 inches in height. Enclosed ones can continue burning until they are about half an inch in height. Why not continue burning until there is nothing left? Well, candles burn because they draw wax up through the wicks which in turn burns. If you just burned the wick, it would only last a minute or two at most. The wax is much slower burning and doesn't create much smoke, if at any, often giving off pleasant scents in the form of water vapor. That's why they smell so good in stores.

A candle holder can also make burning candles safer. They'll be much less likely to tip over or spill hot, sticky wax. If wax does spill while enclosed, it's simple and easy to clean up by just washing the holder out. Also, remember to trim the wicks to about a quarter of an inch each time you plan on lighting a candle. This makes the wax easier to soak up through the wick so that it can continue burning. Otherwise, you might start creating a lot of smoke, smoke that negates the pleasant scents or makes it even worse in the room.

With those precautions in mind, candles are fun to burn, and they can really make any room in your entire house more vibrant. They are perfect for romantic evenings or creating a gentle glow while you enjoy a nice, hot bath. You might not think of them for use in lighting, and while nobody is probably going to be reading by them, they are still great for making a warming glow throughout the house.