A very small cleaning-wax-out-of-jar-candles tip
I know that most of you are going to be busy in the next few days getting ready for the holidays and the same is true here at my house. So things will probably be a bit sparse here in frugal-girl-blogland until after Christmas.
I have a super quick small thing to share today, though.
You know how jar candles always end up with a little bit of wax left at the bottom? You can chip it out with a knife so that you can reuse the jar, but that's a bit of a pain.
Recently it occurred to me that boiling water would be a great solution. So now I pour boiling water into the jar (water boiled in my kettle because OF COURSE), which melts the wax.
Then I set the jar aside until the wax cools. Since wax floats, it all comes to the surface and forms a thin layer which can be easily taken out.
And voila, you have a clean jar.
I'm sure I'm not the first person who's ever thought of this, but hey, I lived for a long time without it occurring to me, so I figured someone out there could use this tip.
(This is a soy candle jar from Grove Collaborative. Who, by the way, I'm doing a campaign with in January. So keep your eyes peeled for a special offer for new and existing customers.)
Oh I never thought of that either... what a great tip. I have always used the freezer method and there are always bits that don't come out easily. Thank you.
You just completely blew my mind.
I've recently stopped using candles myself, but this is a freaking good hack to know about! I tend to prefer wax warmers nowadays since Mr. Picky Pincher's dad is a fire captain and extolls the dangers of candles. Womp womp.
And way to go for using that kettle. 😉 I just used mine this morning to whip up some almost-cheap-as-dirt homemade coffee.
I use my kettle everyday to make my "almost-cheap-as-dirt-coffee" and tea too!! Blows my mind how people will pay a fortune for something so easy to make at home. 🙂
I use my kettle for dirt cheap coffee too.. coffee grounds and cinnamon.. pour in the hot water, let it sit and then strain into a cup and add a dash of milk.. so delicious I don't even need sugar. While my kettle is hot, I go ahead and make myself a bowl of oatmeal- works great for instant oats in the big ol jug- also cheap as dirt! I drink tea all day long, so once I heat the kettle, I go ahead and make two cups at a time.. may as well since the water is already hot!
I just checked out your blog.....lots of good reading!
My only question is, how safe is it to pour that boiling hot water in the jar? I'm speaking as someone who has broken two jars and has a sister who broke a porcelain teapot by pouring boiling water into them.
Other than that, I like the idea.
You should be fine, because the candle jar is designed to tolerate heat. If you're really worried, though, you can grab the kettle about halfway through its boil time and swish a little of the heated water through the jar to warm it up a bit before you add the actual boiling water. (Ditto with teapots - they should always be warmed before you fill them!)
Thank you for the tip which I did not know and many times wondered about. I just boiled my kettle to try it out!
And then you can reuse the wax - if it is thin enough, just break it up and add it to the top of an unused candle (the wick is usually long enough).
It is a good tip and it's worked for me for many years. You can also pour boiling water over candlesticks to remove dripped wax.
Just, for heaven's sake, don't pour the waxy hot water down the drain. Save yourself a lot of effort: let the water cool and the wax solidify, then toss it in the garbage (or save for later use).
You make a very good point about not pouring the waxy water down the drain! I like to do this task outside so I can just let the waxy water drain off on the ground.
I just love it when out of the blue my brain comes up with a practical solution for an every day problem and I wonder WHY didn't I think of this 10 years ago? 🙂
When the wick is used up, I like to set the jar on a coffee cup warmer. It's just warm enough to melt the last bit of wax so you can pour it out, and you get to enjoy the scent a little longer.
Thank you!! I actually have one right now that I want to get the wax out of so I can reuse it. Going to start my water right now!
What a great idea! This totally beats my (former) system of microwaving the candle holder a few seconds at a time until that metal base loosens and pops out, all the time hoping I don't blow up my microwave.
That is genius! It is SUCH a pain to get that wax out of the bottom. Once I was using a sharp knife to chip it out and it ended up going through the glass jar and into my finger and I ended up with a bunch of sutures and a nice big scar right by my wedding ring. This makes so much more sense!!
Thank you! My DH & DD make candles every Christmas Eve, and we re-use a lot of candle jars. My (former) go-to cleaning method was to immerse the jar in hot water, much like I do when I de-crystalize honey. I'd wait for the wax to soften from the heat, then wipe it out with a paper towel. This sounds so much easier.
We will keep our eyes PEALED in January! Lol
I do that as well, AND the wax that you pull out, I put in throw away pie or cake tins and simmer it on the stove to finish using up the rest of the candle, I like to save the pieces till I have several, then throw them all in the tin and voila, house smells great and nice getting to use every bit up.
I love using the candle jars as little
Terrariums, cute gift jars, cotton ball holders etc! Endless uses!
Oh my gosh, I have a candle in the freezer and another one in the fridge, hoping to crack that wax out. I've NEVER thought of this! Thank you!
I just did it. The wax came up to the top and I threw it away. I thought it was all water, and I reached into the jar, pulled my hand out, and it was covered with wax! Now I know I need to wait until it is totally cool. I joked to my DH that I got a free paraffin treatment. 🙂
Great idea! To take it one step closer, I collect the last bits of my candles, add a new wick to an old jar or candle holder and (slowly) melt all the pieces into a new candle. It smells great in the process and I don't waste any wax.