Organizing & Storing Candles Safely

The holidays are closing in! Nothing lights up a dark winter night like a beautiful flickering candle, but they can also be quite dangerous (especially to your memories), so in this post, we’re discussing organizing & storing candles safely! Hope it helps!

Celebrations Galore

In my family, we celebrate two light festivals: the Swedish Lucia celebration, and the Indian Diwali festival. Both are candle-filled events, so we go through quite a lot of them here at home. And because candles make such great gifts, I always have scented candles on hand in case I need a quick little present for someone. Needless to say, it’s really important to store them safely, especially when you have children and pets, so in the spirit of holiday safety and disaster prevention, here is a little guide to candle storage:

Storing Candles in General:

• Please consider fire safety first! Keep all of your candles stored AWAY from children, pets, or anything that can catch fire easily. Try to avoid cardboard boxes.
• Candles should be stored in a cool environment, room temperature or below, if possible. This is to prevent the from softening, bending, or melting altogether. For obvious reasons, jar candles are less sensitive than taper candles, but if you have a basement, that is a great place for them to live when not on display. I wouldn’t recommend freezing your candles because they are very sensitive to extreme temperatures on either side of the thermometer. The wick may also become damaged if frozen because it would have absorbed too much moisture.
• When storing any type of candle, avoid a lot of direct sunlight. The darker the place, the better. Not only will they melt in direct sunlight, but the colors and scents will fade faster.
• Keep your candles in a dry place. If your basement floods every year…not such a good spot.

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What Type of Candle are You Storing?

Some candles have different needs than others! Knowing what you have to store is the first step:

If you Love Taper Candles:

Storing taper candles can be tricky, but these should always be stored flat to prevent them from warping. They are the most sensitive of all the candles and can easily get dinged and scratched, so to prevent that, try wrapping them in tissue paper individually and keeping them in a box or basket (yes, tissue paper is actually paper, but you need something to keep them from sticking to each other). I prefer to use galvanized boxes because of their resistance to extreme temperatures, hot or cold. Lots of people keep them in empty paper holder roll tubes, but I prefer not to keep my candles around cardboard. Personal choice.

If You Have Pillar Candles:

Storing pillar candles is easier. If they are already in glass jars, the are safe to store upright, otherwise, they should be stored flat in the same manner as the taper candles to prevent damage.

If You Have Lots of Small Candles or Votives:

These aren’t very sensitive, although they can melt together if you are not careful. Try stacking them in a box that has dividers. Small ornament boxes or egg cartons also work well for storing votives.

If You Collect Jar or Tumbler Candles:

I love jar candles simply because they don’t spoil as easily, and they last super long. Because they are already in glass containers, you are safe to stack them as long as they don’t fall. A box or basket will safely hold them. If you prefer more visibility, you can stack them like the do in the candle store, either on a shelf, or in a door rack.

If You Bake a Ton of Birthday Cakes:

Birthday candles can be stored easily because they are so small. If you can store them flat, that’s best, but it’s not the end of the world if you keep them upright. A glass jar or small tin works great. I store mine in a little galvanized box. If you own a bakery, and have a lot of them on hand, your easiest solution would be to separate them by color in glass jars for visibility.

If You Use Wax Melts and Tarts:

I use wax melts more often than any other type of candle, the reason being that you can control the fragrance output, and if is safer than an open flame. I highly recommend wax melts, especially to families with children because you can easily plug and unplug, and you don’t need to constantly monitor them. Keep wax melts sealed in their original boxes to prevent them sticking together, or if you have already separated them all, ice cubes trays work well (and they stack!).

If You Use Car Fresheners or Vent Sticks

Yes, they are not actual candles, but I felt they still fit into this category. Because these types of flameless fragrances lose their scent quickly, try keeping them in plastic baggies (don’t mix scents), or keep them sealed in their original packages until ready for use. Like more other organizing, keep it where you use it. If they’re meant for the car, keep them in the car! They are small enough that they won’t take up any major space.

I hope these tips help! Remember to never leave a candle unattended! Store safe and stay safe!

 How Are You Storing Candles? Let Me Know in the Comments Section!