If you want to avoid any candle issues when making candles in jars then you need to take a little bit of time to prepare your candle jars. There are several things you can do to get them ready, and these steps will help prevent wet spots, frosting, sinkholes, and a variety of other issues.
How to warm candle jars before pouring? Warm candle jars before pouring by placing them in an oven between 100° and 170° for approximately 5 minutes before you are ready to pour your candles. In addition, you can use a heat gun or a blow dryer to warm each container individually before pouring.
The jars do not have to reach any specific temperature, however, if they can reach a temperature of at least 100° that would be most ideal. You just do not want the wax to cool too quickly once it touches the glass.
Cleaning Jars Before Warming
The first step you should take when getting ready to prepare your jars for making candles is to clean the jars. You can wipe them out with alcohol wipes or wash them with water and a mild detergent.
However, make sure that the jars have been thoroughly dried before you begin using them to make candles.
Any moisture in the jar can cause adhesion issues when you pour your wax and it can work its way into the wick and cause popping problems.
One way to make sure your recently cleared jars are completely dry is to preheat them.
Jar Warming Methods Before Pouring
There are a few different ways you can warm your candle jars. Let’s take a look.
**Make Sure Wicks Are Attached And Held Before Warming**
Warm Jars In The Oven
- Set your oven temperature to at least 100°-170°.
- Place your jars on cookie sheets or pizza pans with the opening facing upward.
- Place the jars in the oven.
- Take them out after 5-10 minutes.
Do not remove your jars unless you have finished mixing your wax and fragrance oil and it has cooled to your desired pouring temperature. You want the jars to still be fairly warm when you start pouring.
Warm Jars With A Hairdryer
After washing, drying your jars, and inserting wicks, space them out where you will be pouring your candles.
As you pick up your candle wax pouring pot in one hand, hold your hairdryer in your other hand.
As you get to each jar you will be pouring wax in, holding the hairdryer, and blowing hot air directly down into the container for several seconds before pouring.
Move on from container to container, heating and pouring as you go.
Warm Jars With A Heat Gun
Similar to hairdryers, heat guns can be held in one hand while you are pouring with the other hand.
However, heat guns produce air at much higher temperatures than hairdryers. So you may not need to hold it over each candle container for quite as long.
In fact, you might be able to do a few containers at a time when you are getting started and before you start pouring.
Jar Warming Benefits
There are multiple benefits to warming your jars before you begin pouring your candle wax. Let’s take a look at some of these benefits.
Reduce Frosting
Candle wax frosting is a common problem when you are making candles with wax made from natural and vegetable oils, including waxes like soy wax, coconut wax, palm wax, and rapeseed wax.
After the wax hardens it can begin to form a white crystalline coating on the surface of the candle, or frosting as it is called. This frosting will not harm the candle or how it burns, it is strictly cosmetic.
This issue usually arises from candle wax that is exposed to temperature fluctuations or sunlight. However, it can happen to candles that have been stored in perfectly stable temperatures.
The good news is you can help reduce the occurrence of this problem by preheating your jars before pouring your candle wax.
Reduce Air Bubbles
Air bubbles are another common problem when it comes to making candles. This problem is most common if you pour at too low a temperature or if you were stirring the candle wax too vigorously.
If you have poured candles in jars before you’ve probably seen the air bubbles along the sides of the jar when you first pour the wax. These bubbles can also be in the rest of the wax and can cause problems when the candle is burning.
When you’ve preheated the candle jar it prevents the wax from hardening while the bubbles are still floating to the top. In addition to warming your containers, it is also beneficial to tap on the sides of the jar to knock those bubbles loose.
Reduce Wet Spots
This is the problem you are most likely to prevent by following the suggestions in this article.
Wet spots are the places around the sides or bottoms of your candle jars that make them look wet or gooey. This is caused because the wax doesn’t want to stick to the glass.
These issues are caused by adhesion problems and this is usually due to the temperature differential on the surface of the candle jar, or from oil, dirt, dust, or debris on the insides of the jar.
If you were carrying your jars with your hands, you can get oil off of your fingers on the inside of the glass. Even that can help cause problems with adhesion.
For those reasons, it is important to make sure your jars are clean and preheated before you begin pouring your candle wax.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should preheat your candle containers before pouring the wax because it helps prevent problems with adhesion. In addition, it can help stop a variety of other candle making issues.
If your pour candle wax too cold the candle will end up sinking in the middle. This is because the wax on the sides will harden first and the wax in the middle will harden last. When the wax hardens from the outside inward it makes them dip in the middle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, by taking a little time to preheat your containers you can solve a lot of candle making problems before they start. It is also important to make sure your jars are clean before you get started.
It doesn’t matter what method you have to use to preheat your containers as long as you do it. Personally, I use a heat gun to preheat my containers when I am making candles and I have never had a problem with it.
When you get into candle making you will find heat guns are useful for solving all kinds of problems.