When a candle is down to its last half inch of wax, it is time to stop burning it. The jar still has plenty of life left. Soy wax is soft and lets go of glass easily, so most jars come clean in a few minutes with one of the methods below.
Before you start
Let the candle cool completely. Look the jar over, and if the glass is cracked or chipped, throw it away rather than reuse it. Have a butter knife, paper towels and dish soap ready.
Method 1: The freezer
Wax shrinks as it gets cold, which pulls it away from the glass.
- Put the jar in the freezer for a few hours, or overnight.
- Take it out and slide a butter knife around the edge. The wax should pop out in one piece or a few chunks.
- Pry up the metal wick tab with the knife if it stays stuck to the bottom.
The freezer works best on jars with straight sides or a wide mouth. Let the jar come back to room temperature before you wash it in hot water, because a sudden jump from cold to hot can crack glass.
Method 2: Hot water
- Set the jar on a folded towel in the sink.
- Fill it with hot water from the kettle, just off the boil, leaving a little room at the top.
- The wax melts and floats to the surface. Let the water cool until the wax hardens into a disk.
- Lift the disk out, pour out the water, and pry up the wick tab.
Use this method on a jar at room temperature, never one straight from the freezer.
Method 3: A low oven
- Heat the oven to its lowest setting.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and set the jars upside down on it. Remove any cork or wooden lids first.
- After about 15 minutes, the wax drips onto the foil. Lift the jars out with oven mitts and wipe them out with a paper towel while warm.
This is handy for doing several jars at once.
Getting the last film off
Wash the jar in warm, soapy water to lift the last thin layer of wax. A little rubbing alcohol on a paper towel takes care of stubborn spots. Once every bit of wax is gone, a dishwasher-safe jar can go in the dishwasher. To remove a label, soak it in warm water and rub off any leftover glue with a little cooking oil.
What to do with old candle jars
- Bathroom storage for cotton swabs, cotton balls and hair ties
- A desk cup for pens, pencils and makeup brushes
- Kitchen storage for tea, spices or sugar, especially a jar with a cork lid
- A tiny planter for a succulent, with a layer of pebbles in the bottom since the jar has no drainage hole
- A votive holder. Drop in one of our scented votive candles and you have a new candle in your favorite jar.
- A small gift jar for homemade cookies or candy
An empty candle tin makes a handy travel case for jewelry, a sewing kit, or earbuds.
What to do with leftover wax
Do not pour wax down the drain, since it hardens in the pipes. Leftover soy wax often still has a little scent in it, so drop a few chunks in a wax warmer and enjoy what is left. Here is how to use wax melts if you are new to warmers. When the scent is gone, let the wax harden and throw it in the trash.
Candle jars worth keeping
Our corked candles come in recycled glass jars with cork lids that are dishwasher safe once empty: the apothecary candle, the Classico, the Calypso in 16 or 9 ounces, the flat round jar and the snowflake Flurry jar. The canning jar candle has a classic metal lid, and the travel tin candle closes up tight. Browse all of our soy candles. To get the most out of your next candle before it is empty, read how to burn a candle without tunneling.
Questions people ask
Remove all of the wax first, because wax can clog a dishwasher. Many jars are dishwasher safe, including our apothecary jars, but check with the maker if you are unsure.
Most tabs are glued down. Freeze the jar or soften the wax with hot water, then slide a butter knife under the tab and lift it off.
No. Wax hardens in the pipes and causes clogs. Let it set, then reuse it in a wax warmer or throw it in the trash.
About half an inch in a jar or tin. Burning lower can overheat the glass and the surface underneath it.