Our Guide To Putting Out A Candle Without Smoke?

Candles are a great addition to your home for a cosy ambiance, but when you put them out they can cause a lot of smoke, polluting the indoor air. 

To put a candle out without too much smoke you will need to extinguish the candle properly, you can do this by using a candle snuffer, wick dipper or by suffocating the flame.

We've discussed in further detail below the best ways to put out a candle, why a candle is producing so much smoke and some tips for taking care of it.

Is The Smoke From Candles Bad For You?

Seeing all the smoke from your blown-out candles can be aesthetic and fill your home with a lovely scent, but is the smoke from candles bad for you?

If you're burning scented candles in a well-ventilated area, the smoke from a candle will have a minimal effect on your health.

However, this doesn't mean that the smoke from candles is good for you to breathe in, especially if scented candles are made from paraffin since they can emit chemicals when burned.

The Best Ways To Extinguish A Candle

If you want to avoid filling your home with too much smoke when you put out your candle, there are a few ways you can extinguish a candle without producing too much smoke, we've listed them below.

Use A Wick Dipper 

Wick dippers are excellent for extinguishing candles, they are long tools with a tapered end to help you dip the end of the wick into the wax which will put the candle flame out. 

You can also make your wick dipper with a pencil or tweezers to press the wick into the wax.

Suffocate The Candle 

If you cut off the oxygen to the candle flame, this will extinguish the flame easily, simply place the lid back on the candle to suffocate the flame and make sure this lid is made of durable heat-resistant material, stone is popular. 

One downfall of this method is that it will leave black marks on top of the lid.

Snuff The Candle 

Candle snuffers are another tool you can use to put out a candle flame, they are shaped like a cylinder or bell, and they work by suffocating the flame and cutting off the oxygen. 

You can also make your snuffer by shaping a bell out of tin foil.

Use Your Fingers

You can also put out a candle without smoke by using your fingers, simply wet your fingers and the moisture will put the flame out, be careful not to hold the wick for too long otherwise the hot candle can burn you.

Why Is My Candle Producing So Much Smoke?

If your decorative candles are producing a lot of smoke while they are lit and after you extinguish them you might be wondering what you can do to fix your candle burn.

The most common reason why your candle is producing lots of smoke is down to the wick, especially if your wick is too long which can cause the candle to give off black smoke.

We've listed some more possible reasons as to why your kinds of candles are giving off lots of smoke below.

• There is debris in the candle - Candles can collect lots of dust and debris when sitting around your home, this means there is a possibility of candle smoke when you next light your candle up due to the soot. Put the lid on lidded candles to prevent this.
• You've been burning for too long - Burning a candle for too long can cause the wax to evaporate and the wick to become more exposed, if this happens simply allow the candle to cool then trim the wick to restore your clean scent.
• There is too much fragrance - Too much fragrance can often be used in low-quality candles which can produce a lot of smoke and soot when burned since the candle often requires a larger wick to pair with it.
• It's the wax - Paraffin wax in comparison to other types of wax like soy wax tends to burn more smoke and can even produce black smoke contributing to indoor air pollutants.
• It's exposed to a draft - Drafts can cause a candle flame to burn irregularly especially if it's near a heating vent or air conditioner, producing black smoke. 

Why Is My Candle Flickering? 

If your candle is flickering as well as smoking you might be wondering how to stop your candle from doing this and restore it to its warm glow. 

We've listed some reasons below. 

• The wick is too large - If a larger wick is used on a smaller candle this can cause the flame to flicker and cause issues with how it burns.
• It's the air - Too many drafts and the air around your candles can cause flickering in candles, try moving them to a different location to prevent this.
• The candle wax is impure - Candle wax impurities such as soot and other ingredients can affect how candle wax burns, always keep the lid on the candle and remove trimmed wax.

Do Candles Pollute Indoor Air?

Although candles are not harmful to breathe in in small quantities, they do have small particles which can contribute to indoor air pollution. 

However, not all candles are as bad as others when it comes to the chemicals they emit into the air, for example, soy-based and beeswax candles burn much cleaner than paraffin wax candles. 

You can also choose natural scents over synthetic fragrances for a more clean pleasant scent.

Frequently Asked Questions About Putting Candles Out Without Smoke 

How do I get rid of the scent of smoke in my home?

If your candle has caused a smoky smell in your home then try to ventilate your home as much as possible, you can also set bowls of baking soda which will take on the scent.

What's the immersion method for extinguishing candles?

This method simply means dipping the candle wick into the wax to extinguish it.

What are some basic candle care tips? 

Some basic candle care tips are; covering your candle when not in use, never burning for more than four hours, trimming the wick and burning evenly to sides of the candle with each use.

Can a candle cause a fire?

A candle could cause a fire if left to burn too low, this could heat and shatter the glass container or a draft could potentially cause the flame to catch on to other items.

Last Words

Overall, to put a candle out without smoke, we suggest suffocating it or using candle extinguishers such as snuffers or bell to block the oxygen to the flame. You can also use moist fingers to put out the flame but be careful not to burn yourself!