For centuries, candles have been used to brighten moods and bring fresh scents to our homes. We’ve been blowing out candles to mark special days in our lives, especially during birthdays.
But is blowing candles good for you?
Today, most candles are made using paraffin wax, although they can also be made from soy wax, palm wax, or beeswax.
There has been controversy over whether blowing candles can be harmful to your health. Some argue that candles emit hazardous chemicals, while others claim that the amount of toxins from candles is not enough to affect our health.
This article shares alternative methods to put out a candle without blowing it.
Reasons Why You Don’t Want To Blow Out a Candle
Some people often get surprised when they learn that other people don’t fancy blowing out candles. However, most have valid and logical reasons for people who are averse to blowing out candles.
The following are some of the reasons:
- It can contaminate the cake. Blowing a candle can potentially eject potions of spit from mouth to the cake, exposing everyone in the party to infectious diseases such as common cold and COVID-19.
If you intend on carrying on the custom, you can have your kid blow out a candle on a separate cupcake to avoid contaminating the whole cake.
- There is always a risk of being injured when blowing out a candle, either by hot wax splashing or getting close to its flame, regardless of the sort of candle you’re using.
- Some people are bothered by the smoke. Not everyone enjoys the smell of smoke all over their homes.
- Smoke is an air pollutant. Smoke can spread contaminants in the interior environment. At times, people experience breathing complications as a result of inhaling smoke.
Can You Put Out a Candle With Your Fingers?
Yes, you can use your fingers to put out a candle.
Put your hand nearly one inch (2.5 cm) from the flame. Grab the flame swiftly and let go.
You should then lick your fingertips—a critical step. Licking your fingers gives your skin a layer of moisture, protecting it from burning.
Grabbing your wick quickly and letting go puts out the flame. If it doesn’t blow out the candle, trim the wick, and attempt again.
Practice more often. You will soon accomplish this without necessarily burning your fingers.
Can You Put Out a Candle With The Lid?
You can use a lid to put out a burning candle.
Typically, candle jars are bought with lids to put out the flame. Placing the lid on top of the candle will smother the flame and put out the candle. It will also keep dust and grime from the wick and wax and trap the smoke inside the candle jar.
Can You Put Out a Candle With a Spoon?
Omnes recommends putting out a candle using a candle snuffer, a bell-shaped metal with a handle, or using the candle’s lid. But if you don’t have either, a spoon will also do the job.
Using a metal spoon or candle sniffer to put out a candle is a safer way to put out burning candles than blowing out the flame.
Do Candles Make Your Ceiling Black?
According to Bob Schacke from Home Inspection Experts, candles can leave gray, smoky residues on furniture. It may be seen on the ceiling, wall, and even picture frames, especially in areas where you frequently light candles.
But does that imply that we should cease using candles to prevent staining our walls and other surfaces?
Certainly not. There are battery-powered candles, which are becoming popular and found in most stores today. Alternatively, Bob Schacke suggests purchasing premium candles and trimming their wicks to almost a 1/4-inch to keep the flame under control.
If your ceiling already has black smoke spots, you need to mop it up. Start with clearing any loose-fitted particles, then remove the remaining stain with a dry sponge or a sponge with cleaner.
The National Candle Association suggests that trimming the wick to around ¼ inches is among the best strategies for reducing down soot when burning a candle. If you’re lighting a candle for the first time, trimming the wick ensures you don’t have a high flame, to begin with.
Do Candles Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
When candles burn, they produce carbon monoxide. While a single candle produces carbon monoxide in small quantities, multiple candles could potentially produce harmful gas in large quantities. However, it’s unlikely to be enough to poison an adult.
3 Smart Ways To Put Out a Candle Without Blowing It
1. Try Out a Candle Snuffer
As mentioned before, using a candle snuffer is an excellent way to put out a candle without blowing it. Snuffers are available in a variety of forms and sizes. The one you choose to buy will depend on your personal preference and the size of candles you intend to light.
Additionally, candle snuffers are made of various materials, with the most common being silver or brass, which adds to their elegance and opulence. Others resemble tweezers more than the usual bell-shaped snuffer.
Some folks recommend putting tweezer-like snuffers in the freezer or refrigerator to speed up the snuffing process.
On the other hand, regular bell-shaped snuffers function regardless of the temperature. They deprive the flame of oxygen, which extinguishes it as soon as the flame is covered.
2. Get a Candle Wick Dipper
If you want a better way of putting out candles without the resultant smoke, a candle wick dipper might be your best bet.
A candle wick dipper is typically a metallic rod with a slight curve on one end. To put out a candle using the wick dipper, you use the curved end of the dipper to push the lit wick into the candle wax that has melted due to burning the candle.
Using a candle wick dipper trap smoke, it also coats the wick with a generous layer of wax. As a result, the next time you light your candle, it will burn for longer without necessarily burning the wick too fast.
Additionally, a wax-coated wick will release the scent much sooner if you’re using scented candles. Most importantly, remember to pull the wick out of the wax using the dipper after dunking it and extinguishing the fire.
3. Use Your Finger
You can also use your fingers to put out a candle, but you must approach it with caution. It requires you to wet your fingertips or brush them over your mouth to moisturize them and reduce the chances of scalding.
The thumb and forefinger are the most commonly used; however, any two fingers can suffice. Moisturize your fingertips to put out the flame with a gentle touch.
Whenever you perform a fast pinching action, your wet fingers will extinguish right away. To prevent burning, pinch the wick and release it fast.
- You might get a brief heated feeling. Nevertheless, after the flame is out, the temperature will dissipate.
- The crackling sound you notice is caused by moisture evaporation on your fingertips and shouldn’t be a concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Safe To Put The Lid On a Candle To Put It Out?
Yes, you can use a non-flammable lid to extinguish a candle. However, it’s not appropriate since it retains the smoke after extinguishing the flame—the smoke fragrance blends with melted wax, which might affect the fragrance when you relight your candle.
Does Putting Out a Candle With Fingers Hurt?
Yes and no. If you pinch and release the wick swiftly with wet fingertips, you won’t burn your fingers. However, if you decide to snuff out the flame using your fingers and do it slowly, you may end up with a severe burn and possible blisters on your fingers.
Why Do Candles Smell When Blown Out?
The fragrance of a burning candle is caused by a small percentage of products that do not burn correctly. If a candle is extinguished, the flame goes out quickly, but the wax and wick remain heated; thus, pyrolysis occurs for a few seconds.
How Do You Dip Candles For Kids?
Get the wicks into the wax. Next, dip into a cup of some cold water and repeat this process several times.
What Are Dripless Candles Made of?
Harder wax is used to make dripless candles. These types of candles are manufactured from wax that doesn’t melt at the same rate as the regular ones. And this explains why the dripless candles will only melt near the flame, not the taper’s body.
Why Are Candles Bad For You?
Burning candles are bad for you because burning them releases particulate matter and some organic compounds into the air. Particulate matter is a combination of small liquid droplets that are dangerous for your lungs.
Bottom Line
As you can see, you don’t have to blow a candle to put it out. With so many methods of putting out a candle, you’re at liberty to choose what works best for you without presenting any hazards of burning or contamination, as highlighted above.