I burned all of my candle away; now what?
So, you've found a candle that you've shown so much love to that you've burned it down to the ground and there is nothing that remains but the ashes of what used to be the wick. You don't want to waste the candle jar (since you paid for it) and you do want to get the most use out of it as possible, but don't know what to do. Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to get the old burnt wax out and get your vessel nice and clean for whatever you want. (NOTE: See future blog post for ways to repurpose the cleaned vessel)
Do it with purpose
Whether you are trying to cut back on waste and believe in reduce, reuse, recycle or you're a little on the bougie on a budget (we don't use the word cheap here) side and want to get the most out of your candle after it's gone, since you paid for it, then I have 5 methods you can use to get the old wax out and get the jar clean and ready for reuse.
1. Freeze it
A simple way to remove old wax from the jar is to freeze it. Here's the steps of how to do it (it's almost goof proof):
Put the jar in the freezer overnight. Ensure the candle is at room temperature when you put it in the freezer to avoid the jar from cracking.
Use a knife to cut the wax into chunks. (Be careful not to cut yourself or break the glass)
Pop the wax out of the jar.
Wash any remaining wax out of the jar.
Pro tip: After you have washed the vessel with hot soapy water go back and wipe it down with 91% rubbing alcohol. This will help get any residue left behind by the wax that the soap may have missed and will also help to sanitize the jar as well.
2. Boil it
One of my personal favorites is the boiling method. It's pretty quick and simple and works well, especially on candle holders. (Obviously you will want to be careful doing this because you don't want to burn yourself)
Use a pot or kettle to boil some water.
Place your jar on a pot holder, baking dish, towel or in the sink.
Pour the boiling water into the jar (preferably to the very top).
Allow the wax to melt and rise up to the top of the jar.
Allow it to cool for several hours.
Pop the floating wax puck out of the top.
Drain the water from the jar.
Repeat the process if wax remains on the bottom.
Wash the jar with soap and water once all the wax is gone. If there is still some residue check the pro tip above.
3. Bake it
If you have a lot of jars that you want to clean at once, this is the perfect way to get a lot done in a short amount of time.
Preheat your oven to 200°F/ 94°C.
Remove any labels on the jars just to be safe (depending on your oven and the type of label it could catch on fire if you don't remove the label. Therefore, DO NOT skip this step).
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Line the aluminum foil with parchment paper.
Place the jars upside down on the parchment paper.
Put the jars in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the jars from the wax-covered parchment paper to a fresh piece of parchment paper.
Allow them to cool and clean them with soap and water.
Pro tip: Instead of wasting time scraping the label off, try pouring boiling hot water over the label to remove it.
4. Cook it
If you don't want to bake it or boil it, you can try this quick and easy stove top method (This is similar to the double boiler method).
Fill a saucepan with water; enough to cover where the wax is in the candle jar when the jar is submerged.
Bring the pot of water to a boil and lower the heat to simmer You do not want a volcanic boil.
Place the candle jar in the water and let it cook until all the wax has completely melted.
Use long tweezers/ tongs to pull out the remaining wick.
Grab the hot jar with tongs and pour out the remaining old wax.
Allow the jar to cool and clean it out with soapy water. For any extra residue that may be left behind after washing the jar see the pro tip above.
5. Blow it
If you have a blow dryer or a heat gun this method will work pretty well to get the wax out. However, depending on how much wax is in the jar this may be time consuming.
Put the candle on an oven mitt or potholder.
Use the heat gun or hair dryer to heat the wax until it softens or melts.
Once the wax is soft, scrape it out of the jar with a spoon or knife. (If the wax has completely melted, you can just pour it out.)
Continue heating until all the wax is gone.
Wash your jar with hot soap and water then dry your jar. See the pro tip above if there is any left-over residue.
Whether you want to reuse the jar to give as a gift or you just like the look of it and don't want to throw it way, try using these tricks to remove that stale old wax. You can try each method on their own or you can try using a combination of methods to get the best results. Either way they all work and serve their purpose.
Note: If you plan to reuse your containers with food, please make sure to clean them very very well and use alcohol to make sure all the residue is gone. Then re-wash with hot soapy water after using the alcohol. I recommend using Dawn dish soap as my personal preference, but any dish soap will work.