Lighting and Extinguishing Candles

Preparing

1. Seat a properly sized candle FIRMLY and VERTICALLY STRAIGHT in the candlestick. Tilted candles may cause irregular burning and dripping.
2. Approximately 3/4-inch of EXPOSED WICK is recommended for efficient burning. Trim if necessary.
3. A candle follower must be used for the satisfactory and economical performance of your candle. Use only a follower that is the CORRECT SIZE for the candle diameter. Before seating a follower on any candle, it should be cleaned of all wax both inside and out. To seat the follower, place it on the shoulder of the candle giving it a snug 1/4-inch turn. Visually inspect the follower to ensure it is straight on the candle and that a perfect seal has been achieved. A perfect seal is when all edges of the top rim, or shoulder, of the candle are touching the inside of the follower.
4. Before placing candles on the altar, STRAIGHTEN THE WICK and precondition the candle by burning it for at least TWO MINUTES

Lighting

1. Extend the lighting taper 1 inch out from candle lighter BEFORE lighting.
2. When lighting the candles, do not touch the candle wick or follower with the lighter. HANDLE LIGHTER CAREFULLY to prevent pieces of taper or wick from breaking off and falling into the candle cup. These broken-off pieces may act as a second wick, creating a double flame and resulting in candle failure.
3. After extinguishing taper flame by retracting into candle lighter tube, IMMEDIATELY EXTEND TAPER OUT from the tube to avoid wax build-up and jamming. Inspect to ensure the taper is completely extinguished.

Extinguishing

1. Always use a candle extinguisher to put out a candle flame. Never blow out a candle. To extinguish, gently place extinguisher over the candle follower, being very careful not to touch either the wick or follower. The follower is resting on both liquid and soft wax. Tilting it or compressing it with the extinguisher may cause the candle to malfunction the next time it is used.
2. To avoid afterglow, always allow a candle to burn at least two minutes before extinguishing it. Afterglow may cause a wick to shorten itself, making it difficult to relight.

Many thanks to our friends at the Cathedral Candle Company for their 100+ years of expertise and knowledge to help insure we use their candles correctly!