How to use up wax that’s stuck at the bottom of a candle
- Posted by
- Lauren Geall
- Published
You’ll never have to worry about that tricky bit of wax at the bottom of the candle again, thanks to this incredible viral hack.
Updated 19 January 2021: We’re suckers for a good life hack here at Stylist.
Whether we’re learning how to chill a bottle of wine in less than three minutes, fix a tunnelled candle with a piece of aluminium foil or save £1500 a year using minimal effort, there’s something so satisfying about finding out about a way to make our lives that little bit easier (even when the subject is as mundane as, say, how to remove tough stains from the fridge).
So, when we saw this brilliant viral hack that took Twitter by storm in 2019, we knew we had to share it with you. Not only is it an easy way to use up that stubborn bit of wax that gets left at the bottom of a candle, but it also means you’ll never throw the jars away again.
As reported September 19 2019: Basically, this hack is perfect for anyone who gets annoyed at having to throw away their candles when there’s still wax at the bottom of them.
We all know how impossible it is to light a candle when it gets to the bottom of the jar: whether you end up burning your hand trying to light it or the wicks end up so pitifully short that there’s no point even trying in the first place, it can be hard to wave goodbye to a product when you know it still has so much potential!
But no worries, because those days are over. This viral TikTok from Jasmine Benaya is making the rounds on Twitter, as candle-lovers alike rejoice over their newfound discovery.
The hack is beautifully simple: just fill your candles with boiling water (or heat the water once it’s in the jar) and watch as the heat melts the wax, causing it to bubble to the top. Then, once the wax has cooled back down, you can simply apply pressure and watch it pop out, for you to reuse however you please. Watch the video below if you don’t believe us.
The best thing? The hack doesn’t stop there. As we all try to up our game when it comes to reducing our waste and reusing items where we can, this hack has answered our prayers. Once you’ve popped out the wax, the video shows how to clean up any burn marks around the rim of the jar and easily remove the sticky labels from the sides and bottoms, so you’re left with the container. This can be used for everything from storing spare change to a container for your make-up brushes and products.
And, while the video suggests you use the leftover wax on top of a wax burner, you could also have a go at reshaping the product into a candle of its own, especially if you have lots of leftovers from candles of a very similar scent. Just melt down three or four of the leftover blocks and pour them back into one of the containers, adding a couple of wicks to make it back into a functional candle (you can buy these from a number of online retailers).
One important thing to mention here is that in the video we see the candles being placed in the microwave, but you won’t be able to do that if the wick in your candle is glued to the bottom of the jar with metal, because it will quite literally explode.
Instead, Twitter users have suggested placing your candles filled with water into the oven to heat, or (carefully) pouring in boiling water straight from the kettle.
Because candles are a common item to receive as a gift (either from friends or from yourself for self-care purposes), it’s nice to get the most out of the product and enjoy your favourite scent for a little bit longer. So don’t worry when your candles approach the bottom of the jar: there’s life in the old boy yet.
Image: Unsplash