Candles in the home

Candles in the home

A candle burningA few candles scattered round a room can lend a warm glow to an evening, but please remember that candles also bring fire into your home – so they need to be treated carefully.

Safety advice

Here are some safety tips that will help you to use candles safely:

  • Outdoor candles should never be used indoors
  • Leave at least four inches (10 cms) between any two candles
  • Always use a suitable holder when burning candles
  • Keep loose clothing, hair or other fabrics away from flames
  • Children and pets should be supervised when close to candles
  • Make sure candles are put out before you go out
  • Consider an extra smoke alarm in the rooms that candles are burnt in
  • Don’t put candles near curtains, or other fabrics or furniture and keep them out of draughts
  • Extinguish candles before moving them and don’t let anything fall into the hot wax, like matchsticks
  • Candles should always be sited out of the reach of children and away from areas that pets can get into
  • Don’t put them under shelves – make sure there’s at least one metre (three feet) between a candle and any surface above it
  • Keep clothes and hair away from the naked flame. If there’s any chance you could forget a candle is there and lean across or brush past it, put it somewhere else.
  • Use a snuffer or a spoon to put them out. Blowing them can send sparks and hot wax flying and double check that they are completely out and not still smouldering
  • Put them on a heat-resistant surface and be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic; TVs are not fire resistant objects
  • Don’t leave them burning. You should extinguish candles before you leave a room; never go to sleep with a candle still burning and never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child’s bedroom
  • Scented candles turn to liquid in order to release their fragrance, so always burn them in a suitable glass or metal container that can withstand the heat of the liquid and that the liquid cannot lead from

Remember – Outdoor candles should never be used indoors.

Sign In

Sign Up