Being an avid candle burner and lover I tend to have alot of left over empty tin and glass candle jars. Since both tin and glass doesn't naturally decompose, our landfills are full of materials like tin and glass and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. The best way to fight this problem is to recycle and reuse your glass & tin jars. Below I will discuss how to clean your jars and save our environment by recycling.
Once you're done burning your candle you will have a little bit of left over wax and a used up metal wick still attached to the bottom of your jar. Some candle waxes like our pure soy candle wax is soft and easily cleaned with a little bit of hot soapy water but Paraffin wax is a harder wax and you may need to use a little elbow grease when cleaning.
The first step is to get a pot of water and place it on the stove and set your water to begin to simmer. Place your empty candle jars inside the pot. Candle wax starts to melt at around 99 degrees Fahrenheit so you don't have to bring the water in the pan to a rolling boil. Just a simple simmer.
As your water begins to simmer your wax inside your jar will begin melt. You want your left over wax to completely melt to liquid. Once this happens we are ready to dispose of our unwanted candle wax. I personally use an old coffee container to hold all of my old candle wax from my warmers and candle jars. You can use any container you choose but make sure it is a container that doesn't leak. **Caution** your candle jars will be hot once all your wax melts in your jar. Use an oven mitt to grab your jar from the pot of water and empty the old wax into a container. Most of the time the metal tab will come out with the old wax but if it doesn't use your finger nail to pop the tab off on the bottom.
Place your jar in hot soapy water in a sink. I use Ajax dish soap when I clean mine but you can use any detergent you wish. I let my jars soak for a few minutes. The soap and hot water will help dissolve the oils left behind from the wax. At this point you can empty your pot of water you used to melt your wax if you don't have anymore jars to clean.
Once your jars have soaked for a few minutes you are ready to clean them out. I use a sponge brush for cups instead of a rag and my hand. This way I don't have to worry about my hand and a rag fitting inside the jar and the jar breaking. Run the sponge brush around inside of the jar until all reminisceΒ of wax is gone. Rinse the soap off your jar and let air dry. Once your jar dries you now have a clean new jar for you to recycle and reuse anyway you wish!
There are a few precautions I would like to also pass along to you regarding cleaning your old candle jars.
1. Never use a metal object to scrape your old candle wax out of the jar. This may cause you to crack and break the jar. Yikes!
2. Never place your dirty candle jars in the dishwasher. This will cause the inside of the dishwasher to become clogged with the old wax.
3. Never dump your old candle wax down a sink drain. As the wax cools it will build up inside and clog your pipes
4. Never dump your old hot candle wax in the trash can. From experience it will leak all over the inside of the can and you will have to get a good ole putty knife to scrap it off.
Now that you have a clean jar the possibilities are endless for what you can use them for. Think q-tip holders, toothbrush holders or save and clean the lids to turn your jar into a fresh herb holders. My husband even uses a few out in the garage to help hold, store and organize his nuts and bolts. For more thrifty ideas for your old candle jars follow us on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/ktburnsworth
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