Container candles are my favorite, specifically the jelly jar and mason jar candles. However, there are many styles of container candles and nearly all of them have lids. I have done a lot of research into this topic and I have quite a bit of experience. Why do candles have lids?
Candles have lids to protect the wax from collecting dust, dirt, and grime. Without a lid, the dirt your candle collects would not only be unsightly but would also affect the smell of the candle and the way it burns. The lid also keeps the scented additive from drying out.
In addition, container candles typically are a form of hydrogenated soy wax which is soft. Having something fall into the candle while the wax is still warm could prove difficult to remove without ruining the candles aesthetic. (As well as making a mess)
Primary Benefits Of Candle Lids
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits.
Why You Should Always Use Your Candle Lids
- Keeps Candle Clean
- Keeps Scent From Evaporating
- Protects Candle From Kids And Pets
- Serves As A Surface Protector
Keeps Candle Clean
This may be one of the most important benefits. Leave a container candle sitting on your table for 8 months and then take a look at it. What do you see? Dirt? Dust? Hair? Perhaps a dead bug? Gross!
Sure you can take the time to wipe it out before lighting it but you can’t get everything. You will just be pushing some of that stuff down into the wax.
Not only is it unsightly, but it can affect the smell of your candle and even the way it burns. A dirty candle can produce soot which will make the container look bad and might even stick to your ceiling or wall.
All of this dirt can also ruin the smell of your favorite candle. Imagine what your favorite candle is going to smell like when it starts burning dust or hair!
So keep the lid on your candle and keep the wick and wax clean and smelling great!
Keeps Scent From Evaporating
Evaporation is how scented candles actually spread their scent. When the wax heats up the essential oils and perfumes that were added to the wax heat up and begin to evaporate. This is how you smell them in your home.
If you do not keep a lid on your candle, these same oils and perfumes can evaporate over time without you ever lighting your candle.
Fortunately, only the top few layers of the candle are affected in this way. However, do you want to light your favorite scented candle and then wait for an hour before you smell anything?
I don’t think so.
Keep the lid on your candle and enjoy all of the candle that you paid for.
Protects Candle From Kids and Pets
The lid might dissuade a child or pet from messing with the candle.
Let’s face it, kids and pets are always getting into stuff they shouldn’t mess with. My dog once ripped open a bag of potatoes and carried them to random places around the house.
I have a three-year-old, if he found a lidless candle just sitting around he would be jamming his dinosaurs down into the wax along with half of his juice box.
The lid can save you from these types of situations.
Serves As A Surface Protector
You can set your candle on top of its lid while it burns. This may not sound like a major benefit but you’d be surprised.
If you have your candle sitting on a wood table or chest and the flame is at the bottom of the candle, the heat can actually discolor the finish. This has actually happened to me. It discolored the finish leaving a white-ish looking spot where the candle was sitting.
You live and you learn.
Sitting your candle on the lid while it’s burning is easy, because the lid should always be with its candle, and you also paid for the lid so why not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Candles can lose their scent without a lid. The top layers of wax will begin “drying out” if a candle sits long enough without a lid. This will lessen the cold throw and the hot throw when using the candle. However, further in to the candle it should still maintain its fragrance.
Always keep the lid on a candle when it is not in use. It will protect the wax from dust, dirt, and grime. It will help keep the fragrance oil from evaporating and preserve your candles cold throw. In addition, the best way to keep track of your candles lid is to keep it securely attached to your candle.
When you lid a lit candle it will deprive the flame of oxygen and snuff out the flame. However, putting the lid on a lit candle can also overheat the lid and cause you to burn your hand, or even melt or burn the lid depending on what material it is made out of. So do so with care.
You can lid candles a few hours after pouring once the wax has cooled enough to handle them. Avoid putting the lids on too soon because if the wax is not completely cooled, handling the candles can cause jump lines on the sides of your containers. These jump lines are places the wax splash up on the side and hardens.
Candles need lids to keep the fragrance oil from drying out and to protect the surface of the candle from dust and debris. The lid ensures that you will have a quality candle burning experience every time you light it by protecting the fragrance oil and keeping the candle clean.
Putting the lid on a candle can put it out. Putting the lid on a candle deprives the flame of oxygen and causes the flame to go out. However, this can increase the temperature of the lid and may become a burn hazard.
You are not supposed to extinguish a candle by putting the lid on it because the lid may have a rubber seal which will melt, and because if it is a scented candle it will trap the smoke inside the container. This smoke will bond with the wax and the jar harming the scent of your candle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a lot of reasons why candles have lids. Using the lid that came with your candle can help save you some trouble and frustration down the road.
The lid will keep your candle clean, smelling great and it might save your desk. You already paid for it, it was included with the candle, what do you have to lose?
