PROPER CANDLE CARE PREVENTS HOMES FROM BURNING DOWN

As Mothers Day approaches, dont let your house go up in smoke -- learn proper candle care. Every year, thousands of homes go up in flames due to improper candle care.

Every year, thousands of homes go up in flames due to improper candle care. According to the National Fire Protection Association, candle fires reached a 19th year high in 1998, with as many as 12,540 home fires. This year, Candle Wonder of Naugatuck, Connecticut, (http://candlewonder.com) wants to make sure every home is safe by providing a free tip sheet.

Candles beautify and add warmth to any home," says Shre of Candle Wonder (http://candlewonder.com). But because many people purchase candles without fully understanding the proper care that needs to be taken, candles often get a bad rap. It is my hope that by educating people on the proper care of lighting and using candles, there will be less deaths, less loss, and more holiday joy this season."

Keep your home safe with these safety tips:

•   Never leave candles unattended.

•   Always keep candles in containers specifically designed for candle burning and only burn candles on heat resistant surfaces.

•   Always protect your candle from debris. Candles filled with debris such as dust and pet hairs are less likely to burn evenly, which can cause the flame to flitter and possibly spark a fire.

•   Burn candles away from drafts. A draft could push the flame too close to burnable material, thus causing a fire. A draft will also cause your candle to burn unevenly, drip and smoke.

•   Trim wicks down to ¼ inch before lighting. Its always best to start with a clean wick. Using a used, blackened wick that was previously burned will cause a brighter, stronger flame that could easily ignite a fire.

•   Since heat rises, never place lit candles under items that could easily go up in flames such as lampshades, plants, or curtains.

•   Distinguish candles after they have been burning for an hour straight, thus giving the hot liquid wax a chance to cool.

•   Refrigerate candles before using, as they will burn more slowly and evenly. Wrap in foil or plastic before refrigeration to prevent wicks from absorbing moisture.

•   Extinguish candles when they get within 2 inches of their holders or decorations.

•   When extinguishing a candle, hold fingers in front of the flame and blow at it. The air will flow around your fingers and extinguish the flame from both sides, or use a candle extinguisher. This will prevent hot wax from splattering and your wick from falling over.

•   Dont place candles at arms reach of children, who can easily knock over a candle.

Candle Wonder (http://candlewonder.com) offers a large assortment of candles and waxed creations ranging from $10 to $60. The most popular being the hand-painted waxed animal figures, the musical cartoon characters (such as Disney), the aromatherapy, and gel candles. Gift certificates are available, as well as, wholesale catalogs.

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Contact Information:
Candle Wonder
203-729-7333
support@candlewonder.com

Statistics taken from:
http://www.nfpa.org/Research/NFPAFactSheets/CandleSafety/CandleSafety.asp

This press release was prepared by Alyice Edrich of http://alyiceedrich.com.