Do you know How to Clean Out Candle Jars? Picking out your head about what to do with your candle jars after they’ve been used? How about turning them into vessels as storage, decor, or even a home for new candles. So before you throw your candle jars away, all you need to do is learn how to clean out candle jars and voila.
If you are a candle lover, then more than likely, you tend to spend a lot on your favorite scented candles. It is a sad day when getting to the bottom of your expensive candle with more wax to spare, but the life of the wick grows short, and you’re left with an unusable wax residue at the bottom of the jar, and throwing away the pretty glass jars feels too wasteful.
But the good news is that you don’t have to. With the proper tools, the correct procedure, and a little luck from the cleaning gods, you can clean out your candle jars and bring them back to life. Learn everything you need to know about cleaning out candle jars, and you won’t have to throw a jar again.
How to Clean Out Candle Jars
Razor Method
- Using a sharp razor blade or a window scraper, gently scrape any larger chunks of wax from the surface.
- To remove any residue, moisten the glass using a sponge dampened in hot water. You want the wax to loosen before tackling it again with the scraper.
- Loosen the wax using light movements to avoid leaving scratches on the surface or having the razor blade slip.
- Continue to scrape until all wax debris is removed from the glass.
- To clean any smoky residue out of your holder, you should gently wipe your holder or jar with a damp cloth or paper towel. You can use soap and water on plain clear glass.
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Hairdryer/ Heat gun Method
- If you have leftover candle wax, you can get rid of it by grabbing an oven mitt and a hairdryer or heat gun.
- Put the candle on an oven mitt.
- Use the heat gun or hair dryer to heat the wax.
- Once the wax is soft, scrape it out of the jar with a spoon or knife.
- Continue heating until all the wax is gone.
- Wash and dry your jar.
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Oven Method
- Begin by preheating your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your spent candles upside-down on the foil.
- Place the baking sheet into the heated oven.
- Keep a close eye on the candles; after about 15 minutes, the wax should pool on the foil.
- At that point, take the baking sheet out of the oven, set it on a heat-safe surface, and remove the jars using an oven mitt.
- Let each candle jar cool before cleaning with soap and warm water. Once the leftover wax has dried on the baking sheet, you can remove it from the aluminum foil to use in the future or discard it with the aluminum foil.
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Common Questions Regarding How to Clean Out Candle Jars
What is a candle jar?
A candle jar is a container into which a lit candle is introduced before sealing the container’s airtight lid. The candle’s flame burns until oxygen deprivation extinguishes, which creates a carbon dioxide-rich, oxygen-poor atmosphere in the jar.
How to choose candle jars?
When choosing a container for your soy wax candle, three fundamental safety rules need to follow:
- It won’t catch fire
- It won’t leak
- It won’t crack or break
In addition to being resistant to fire, leaks, and cracks, look for heat-resistant containers. Even if your candle burns appropriately, the wax pool and flame get hot as it burns, so your content needs to take that heat. This is why jelly jars have been so popular over the years.
What jar is best for candles?
Glass candle jars should be designed for candle usage to ensure they are heat-resistant and withstand high temperatures from heat and melted wax.
Glass is an ideal material for a candle container due to its non-flammable and non-porous properties. The thicker the glass, the less likely it is to crack. Glassware, such as canning or jelly jars, teacups, and other heat-safe materials, are popular products often used in candle-making.
How do you get leftover candle wax out of a jar?
When you want to get rid of leftover candle wax, fill the glass candle holder with hot water, and let it sit. This will loosen up the wick enough to pull it out with your fingers, or you can use a dull butter knife to scrape it out.
How do you clean and reuse candle jars?
- Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover where the wax reaches on the candle jar when submerged.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and lower the heat to simmer.
- Place the candle jar in the water.
- Use long tweezers to pull out the wicks to reuse.
- Grab the jar with tongs and pour out the remaining old wax.
- Allow the jar to cool and clean it out with soap and water.
How do you remove candle wax from glass?
- Use a pan or kettle to boil water.
- Place your jar on a hot pad or towel.
- Pour the boiling water into the jar.
- Allow the wax to melt and rise to the top of the jar.
- Allow it to cool for several hours.
- Pop the wax out of the top.
- Drain out the water.
- Repeat the process if wax remains on the bottom.
- Wash the jar with soap and water once all the wax is gone.
How do you empty a whole candle jar?
- Place the jar inside your freezer.
- Let it stay there for a couple of hours.
- Take it out, and turn the jar upside down to get the wax out. If the candle is significant, it should fall out by itself; if not, gently tap the bottom of the jar to loosen it.
Additional Tips on How to Clean Out Candle Jars
- Heat is a great way to get the wax out of candles.
- One of the simplest ways to remove old wax from a candle jar is to freeze them.
- Never microwave a candle, especially if it still has a metal wick tab inside it.
- Keep in mind that you might scratch materials when removing wax or wick tabs with metal utensils.
- You can use the oven method if you have multiple candles to handle at once.
