Whenever you work with anything hot, you need to take the proper precautions. Wear thick potholders whenever you're removing your double boiler from the stove, as well as when you're pouring your wax. The following sections also give you valuable safety information for when you're heating wax, treating spills, or putting out a fire.
 | Don't overlook eye protection. Safety goggles can go a long way in protecting your eyes from splashes. And if you find yourself making lots of splashes, you may even want to consider wearing long sleeves and pants. |
Heating wax
Unless you're rolling beeswax candles, you have to melt your solid wax into liquid wax. You don't want to get your wax too hot, though, or it may combust, causing fire.
 | Never leave your wax unattended as it melts. If you see smoke, you know you're in danger of a fire. Immediately turn off the heat. |
When working with hot wax, don't be tempted to save time and melt your wax over direct heat or in a microwave. Using a double boiler slows the heating process and helps ensure your safety. However, you can't think you're safe just because you're using a double boiler. Just as when you're boiling eggs, you need to make sure that you have enough water to cover most of your top pot.
| Be especially cautious when melting gel wax. Gel wax has a higher melting point than other waxes and is quicker to catch fire. |
Treating spills
Whether you spill wax while you're making candles or while you're burning a finished one, cleaning wax spills is no treat. The best course of action is obviously prevention. Taking the time to prepare your workspace for candle making can save you valuable minutes of cleanup and maybe even articles of clothing. In addition, if you've properly matched your wick to your wax and you haven't placed your finished, burning candle in a draft (such as from a cracked window), you won't have to cope with big accumulated pools of melted wax that can spill.
But alas, despite your best intentions, wax is now somewhere that it isn't intended to be. Perhaps the wax is on your floor, your carpet, your clothes, or yourself. Whatever your predicament, the following tips can help you clean up the mess.
- No matter what type of wax you spill on you, the basic treatment is the same. (If the burn causes blistering, call your primary care physician or visit your local immediate care center.)
• Immediately place your injured part in cool water. (Don't use cold water because extreme temperature shocks your skin.)
• When the wax cools and hardens, gently peel it off and treat it like other any burn. (If your skin didn't blister, you can use calamine lotion or aloe vera. Don't use butter!)
• If you spill melted gel wax on you, the gel is hard to get off your skin. The longer it stays on, the more it continues to burn.
- If the wax gets on something other than your body, wait until it hardens before you try to clean it up. Otherwise, you are just spreading the goo and making a bigger mess. If you want to speed along the process, try rubbing an ice cube on the wax to help cool it. If the item is movable, such as clothing, you can even place it in the freezer.
- After the wax hardens, try to scrape up what you can. A wooden spatula works particularly well. But be careful not to scratch the surface if the wax is on something hard, such as flooring or countertops.
- If your spill is on your carpet or clothing, scrape up what wax you can and then cover the area with paper towels or newspaper and iron over it. Keep replacing the paper towels or newspapers and ironing the spot until the wax disappears.
| If this method doesn't remove the wax from your clothes, try taking them to the dry cleaner. Their special chemicals can often remove wax from fabric. Just let them know what they're dealing with when you drop off the garments. |
- If your spill is on wood, scrape it off. If you have any left, then use wax cleaner to mop it up.
 | You may not be able to remove wax from porous material, such as unfinished wood, unglazed tile, or concrete. |
Extinguishing a fire
Unfortunately, mishaps occur. Hopefully, a fire won't be in your future — and it shouldn't be if you're checking your temperature — but just in case it is, be prepared.
Turn off your heat source immediately if any of the following occurs:
- You check your wax's temperature, and it's dangerously high (anything over boiling point, which is 212 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Your wax begins to smoke.
- You smell something burning.
- Your wax actually ignites and catches fire.
You may have no signs of an impending fire. You won't see bubbles, such as when you boil water.
| If you think you're in danger of a fire, don't try to move your pan. A fire may occur at any minute, and you don't want to take the chance of spreading it or spilling dangerously hot wax everywhere. |
| Wax is actually oil, so never pour water on it in an attempt to put it out. In a wax fire, you need to smother the flames. You can use a metal lid, damp cloth, fire blanket, baking soda, or an extinguisher — just not water! |
After you've eliminated the fire, don't touch the pan right away. It will be hot. When it's cooled down, you can clean up just as you would any other fire — air out the area, throw away the pan after it cools, and call a fire repair company if the damage is severe.
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