Quintessential Candle Accessories

Picture it. You’re all set for a quiet night in. Bubble bath … check. A good book … check. Candles … check. Candle accessories … wait, what are those?

If you’re a true candle connoisseur, you’ve got to know all about candle accessories: candle snuffers, wick trimmers, wick dippers … and don’t forget about keeping some good long-handled lighters on hand, either with a traditional flame or an electric rechargeable USB. But if you’re a person who just buys candles, lights them with whatever and then blows them out like those on a birthday cake, then you may not be getting the most out of your purchase. You may even be dismissing some perfectly good candles as low quality when a few helpful tools can likely maximize the life and your enjoyment of most of them.

Candle Snuffers

A candle snuffer is designed to help you properly extinguish its flame. Simply blowing out a candle can potentially splash wax all over the sides of its vessel, which can cause your candle to burn unevenly and thus diminish its burn time.

Wick Trimmers

Most candle warning labels recommend you trim your wick to a ¼ inch before each use. This is to help avoid large flames and minimize soot and smoke. But if you don’t have a wick trimmer, you could end up having a hard time with this task when your candle nears the end of its useful life. Unlike scissors, wick trimmers can be inserted into a candle jar with the sharp edges for cutting perpendicular to the wick, so you can easily trim it.

Wick Dippers

If you want a smokeless way to extinguish your candle, try a wick dipper. By using the dipper to push the wick down into the hot wax, you can avoid any additional smoke that can come from extinguishing a candle flame. Once the flame is extinguished, use the dipper to lift the wick back out of the wax. This will coat the wick in wax, which will reinforce its rigidity for the next time you burn your candle.

Long-Handled Lighters

If your candle is in a particularly deep jar, using matches or shorter lighters may prove difficult. Long-handled lighters with a traditional flame are safer, as your hand is farther away from the flame. And if you choose to use an electric lighter with a rechargeable USB, you will never have to worry about replacing it or having your hand too close to any flames.

If you have never used any of these valuable accessories, consider making them a regular part of your candle-burning routine. You can even find them in an all-in-one kit, which is really a no-brainer.