No matter how much you love a candle, leftover wax always ends up in the bottom of your glass jar. This may seem like an unusable product, but if I told you that this once useless wax could now become something amazing?
You can use leftover candle wax in various ways. You can remelt them and make new candles. Use them to decorate glasses, rub them on stubborn zippers or malfunctioning drawers. Remelt them and sign your letter with a wax seal. Lastly, you can use them as fire starters for your stove or a wood-burning fireplace.
Do you dream of creating your own beautifully scented candles that put store-bought ones to shame? Are you tired of feeling envious of those who effortlessly craft stunning candles for their homes or businesses? If so, we have the perfect solution for you! Candle Making 4 You™ is a comprehensive step-by-step guide that will turn you into a master candle maker – whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced hobbyist. This system will teach you everything you need to know to create candles that look professional and smell amazing.
If you’ve thrown away your candle wax leftovers, you’re in for a surprise. You might think that your candle is done for you, but it’s not! If you want to make a new candle or soap, there is no need to buy anything. All you need is the leftover wax from your candles and some basic ingredients.
What to do with leftover candle wax?
Do you always feel reluctant when throwing away the unused and untouched wax at the bottom of the candle? You’re not alone. Most of us feel that the unburned wax should be utilized better. But we are always short of ideas on how to reuse this leftover candle wax. Luckily, we’ve searched for all the things you can do with leftover wax, and here is what we came up with.
Make a New Candle
Making a new candle from the unburned leftover wax is incredibly easy and one of the best ways to utilize old wax. But before you start, you should first check how much candle wax is needed to make a new candle.
To do this, all you need is some saved old candle jars and a roll of candlewick. You can buy the wick from any local or online hobby store or make it yourself.
- To make a new candle from old, leftover wax, you first melt it on the lowest heat over the stove burner.
- Pour the molten wax into a separate container.
- When your container is full of wax or has reached the desired level, reheat the wax until it is completely melted.
- Remove from heat and insert the wick in hot wax.
- Let it harden and use.
Easy Tea Lights
You can also create amazing tea lights from your leftover candle wax. If you have saved old tea light containers, fill them with melted wax. Then add a small piece of the wick to the container. Ideally, the remaining wax of a large candle is enough to make one tea light. So these little tea lights can make your teatime special.
Fire Starters
Fire starters are a great use of the leftover unburned candle wax. Fire starters are a convenient tool for you if you have a gas stove or a wood-burning fireplace in your house.
By Store-Bought Cotton Rounds
- Purchase a pack of basic cotton rounds. The ones you use to remove makeup will do the perfect job.
- Melt the wax and dip the cotton pads in it. Leave a small portion from where you are holding the cotton pad.
- Leave the wax to cool and dry. Your fire starter is ready.
Recycling
Recycling some useless stuff and converting it into fire starters is really interesting. For example, you can use old egg cartons that are made of cardboard.
- Fill the empty spaces in the egg carton with the dryer lint.
- Pour the molten wax over each lint ball to form a thin layer. Cover the lint properly.
- Now cut out the egg carton in a way that each carton cup becomes a separate fire starter.
- You need to fire the egg carton side for using this starter, and you are good to go.
Decorative Glasses
Old wax is an excellent way of decorating your glass jars, bowls, vases, and bottles and turning them into a piece of art. There is no limit to how you color your unused, remaining wax and spread it in different patterns.
Wax Melts
Do you have a Scentsy warmer or any other similar wax warmer at home? Your old and useless candle wax can easily go in these wax warmers as wax cubes. You can add the fragrance of your choice if the wax has lost its original aroma. Reuse your old candles as wax melts in the wax warmer and save your money.
Make Drawers Slide Smoothly
Like all furniture, our drawers start squeaking or become very tight for opening after an extended usage period. But you can solve this problem very quickly. You only need to take out your drawer and rub the old useless candles on their bottom. Also, rub the hinges and other parts thoroughly with a leftover candle. Now insert the drawer in its place. Open and close the drawer several times, and it will become amazingly smooth.
Sign Your Letter with a Wax Seal
You will love this idea if you are into more classical and/or old-school. You can sign and seal your letters with your personal wax imprint. The wax seals are easily available from crafting and DIY stores.
You need to drop some hot molten wax on your paper and press it with your wax seal. Enjoy your creativity and amaze your friends too.
Unstuck Zippers
If you are in a hurry and your zipper gets stuck (let’s be honest, it happens to all of us). Just rub some old wax thoroughly along the zipper’s teeth. Simply run the zipper up and down two to three times, and you are ready to go.
Seal Cracks in Your Home
Until and unless you have the time to go for simple caulking of your windows and doors, give the charge to some leftover candle wax that you stored some time back for recycling.
How many times can you reuse wax?
Wax melts are unlikely to vaporize no matter how much you use them. Only their scent will fade away. If the wick burns out and you have wax at the bottom, you can certainly reuse it. But how many times can you reuse your wax melts?
Wax melts are usable as long as they retain their fragrance. You can use the remaining old bits from burnt candles by melting and remolding them instead of throwing them away. However, the smell will become weaker every time the wax is heated to melt.
If you are using premium quality candles, you can use them many times before their unique scents start fading away.
Ideally, two or three wax melts should provide fragrance for at least 8 hours. However, for specific brands, you will find varying burn times. Most people reuse their wax melts several times before throwing them away.
The life of wax melts depends upon several factors;
- The type of warmer: The warmers that get too hot such as potpourri crock, meltdown the wax melts with great speed, due to which the fragrances also fade away very quickly. If you use the warmers and melts from the same company, they are likely to last longer than if they are used in a different company’s warmer.
- The oil used in the melts: Two types of oils are used in wax melts: fragrance oils and Essential oils. Fragrance oils are usually synthetic, and they last longer than essential oils. On the other hand, most essential oils are extracted from botanical sources. They are volatile and 100% natural but don’t last long.
- Storage: The way you store your wax melts before using them also determines how long their scents will last. They will soon lose their fragrance if they are not stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.
- The Oil to Wax Ratio: The average concentration of oils in wax melts is around 6%. If you use wax melts with lower concentrations of fragrance oils, their fragrances will not last long.
When should you throw away wax?
Well, by now, you’ve probably guessed it, you have to throw old wax melt away once they lose its aroma. One cube of wax melts usually works for 8 to 12 hours, depending on the brand. However, if you use multiple cubes at a time, you can expect them to last longer.
There are different ways to remove your wax melts – the hot or cold method if you have placed the wax melts directly on the surface of your wax warmer. You can also make use of popper liners or silicon dishes for more convenience.
You can remove wax melts from your warmer in the hot method while it’s still hot. You need to place two cotton balls over the melted wax. Let them absorb the wax and remove them with the help of tongs. Throw them in the trash bin. This method is effective for warmers that don’t have removable lids.
You can easily use the cold method if you forget to remove wax from the wax warmer while it’s still on. Turn the warmer on again for a few minutes and turn it off. Lightly scrape the wax from the wax warmer’s surface. Use a scraper to prevent your fingers from burning.
You can also remove the used wax from the wax warmer with the help of a “wax warmer popper liner.” You need to place a popper liner on the wax warmer and place the wax melts in it. These popper liners are reusable and easy to clean.
Using a “non-scrape” silicon dish is another convenient way to get rid of used wax melts. Let the wax harden, and then remove it from the silicon dish. You can place this hardened wax in your closet or anywhere else if you feel it is still fragrant.
Can I melt leftover candle wax?
Yes, you can easily melt soy, beeswax, or paraffin wax in a double boiler or a microwave, but if you’re unsure of what temperature candle wax melts, here is a guide that should help you. You can also give them a new life by adding beautiful colors and mesmerizing aromas of your choice.
Reuse your empty candle jars to create new candles. However, some people throw away the jars and leftover candle wax because they find it difficult to remove the sticking wax.
You should never use a knife or any other sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass votive holder. It might scratch and weaken the glass.
Here are four ways by which you can take out the leftover wax from the glass jars easily without breaking your candle jars.
- Freeze the Candle Wax
Freezing the jar will solidify and harden the leftover wax. You can then remove the wax from the jar using a butter knife or spoon without much effort. - Use Boiling Water
Pour some boiling water into the candle jar containing leftover candle wax. The wax will melt and leave the base of the jar to float on the water’s surface. Strain the water and let the wax dry on a paper towel. - Use the Oven
You can use this method to remove leftover wax from several jars. Heat your oven to 180 degrees. Take a rimmed baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Place the candle jars on the baking pan upside down and place them in the preheated oven.
Remove the baking tray from the oven after 15 minutes. Carefully clean the jars using a paper towel and then wash them.
- Create a Double Boiler
Keep the candle jar in a pot filled with boiling water. The water temperature will melt the wax, which you can remove with the help of a butter knife. Remove the candle jar from the pot and wash it with soap and water.
How do you melt the remaining candle wax?
If you don’t have a stove or you don’t want to use it, you can melt it in a microwave. Burning wax melts in a microwave is convenient and hassle-free. However, you need to do it the right way. The time you should set on your microwave depends on the amount of wax you will melt and the size of the container you are using.
For this purpose, you will need a microwave-safe container, natural soy wax, and a stirring utensil. You will also need some essential supplies such as wicks, vessels, and fragrances.
Do not overheat the wax; the maximum temperature should not exceed 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not leave the wax in the microwave unattended. If you want to add color, heat the wax and stir in color properly.
Pour it into the container with the wick and let it harden. When the solidification starts, it is the perfect time to add fragrance or essential oils. Mix gently and let it set.
How do you melt leftover candle wax on the stove?
Before you start wax melting, knowing what type of wax you want to melt and how to do it is crucial. The President of the National Candle Association (NCA) says that wax comes in different types: synthetic wax, paraffin wax, soy wax, palm wax, coconut wax, beeswax, stearic acid, and gelled mineral oils.
Before you mix the leftover candle wax, you should separate out the different types of wax. You can not mix soy, beeswax, and paraffin together.
Place all your leftover (or similar) candle wax in a small pan. Fill a larger pan with water. Now place this large pan over your hotplate or hob and let it simmer. Place the smaller pan with leftover wax in this large pan and let the wax melt gradually. The temperature of wax must not exceed 80 degrees Centigrade.
FAQ
How to Dispose of Candle Wax
When disposing of candle wax, it’s important to be careful about how you do it. Melting and repurposing them is always a great option for eco-friendly disposal; however, if that isn’t an available choice, then the none recyclable bin should do. Just remember – liquid wax can clog your drains quickly, so make sure not to pour any down sinks or toilets. If you wish to know how to do it correctly, here is a guide that should help you out.
