Apart from candle-making being a therapeutic experience and offering a unique ambiance to your home, one of the best things about working with candle wax is that you can reuse it several times. Whether it’s experimenting with candle making or starting over from a failed project, you can reuse candle wax several times.
There is no limit to remelting and reusing candle wax leftover. If the candle is scented then every time remelting candle wax scent will fade. You can remelt it over and over again until the scent has completely faded.
You probably have a lot more questions about how many times you can reuse candle wax, how to reuse the candle wax, etc. In this article, I am going to include relevant information about all of them.
I am also going to include some additional details if you are looking for creative ideas to try out. I would recommend reading the whole thing to be best informed.
How Many Times Can You Reuse Candle Wax?
The answer to whether you could reuse candle wax has always been obvious. You can do it, although the frequency of its usage is a bit ambiguous.
There is no proper number as to how many times you can reuse candle wax.
This is because candle wax can also be used again as long as it still holds a little bit of its fragrance or scent. You can only use it over and over again until the scent has completely faded.
If you light your candle or wax melt and allow it to burn for hours and hours with very little bits of wax left, there is a chance that you will not be able to use it again, maybe just once. That, too, is determined by how long you had the candle lit.
How To Clean Candle Wax When You Want To Reuse It?
Before you reuse candle wax, the most important thing you need to do is clean the candle wax so it is fit to function again. Before that, you have to properly remove the leftover candle wax from whatever container it is in. Below, I have mentioned some of the most effective methods for removing and cleaning leftover wax for usage.
Using A Freezer
You can use a freezer when there is a minimal amount of wax left that you can salvage, maybe 1.5 inches. Leave your candle jar in the freezer overnight. Afterward, flip the jar upside down and scrape off the wax inside with a butter knife or spoon.
In its frozen state, wax shrinks, allowing it to be separated from the container it is in. This is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to remove and clean wax.
Using a microwave oven
Fill your candle jar with water and microwave the whole thing for 1-2 minutes. Definitely not more than that. Because of the heat, the wax will gradually melt and rise above the water surface. Let the jar and the wax inside rest and cool for some time.
After that, scoop out the leftover wax with a butter knife or spoon. There is something you need to keep an eye on and be cautious about though. While in the microwave, regularly monitor the candle as sometimes the wicks in it consist of a metal wick holder. These can pose a fire hazard.
Creating A Double Boiler
The microwave can be a little too intense for the candles, which are on the softer side, for instance, soy or coconut. Hence, for them, you need to use a double boiler. For this, you will need to place your candle in a large pot or bowl, or any container that is big and wide enough.
Around the candle, fill the container with hot water.
With time, you will see the wax start to soften around the edges. Gradually, it will be soft enough overall, enabling you to scrape the wax off.
Using A Hair Dryer Or Heat Gun
Place your candle on a heat-proof and safe surface. Start your hair dryer or heat gun over the candle. Make sure you do not burn off the tag. When you see that the candle is in a liquid state, use a paper towel to get rid of the additional wax.
Using An Electric Oven
Using an electric oven is the best option if you are catering to a lot of candles at once. Preheat your oven to 150-200 °F. On a baking pan, spread out the aluminum foil. Place your candles over it, upside down.
Within 15 minutes, you will see the wax melting steadily and gathering into a pool. Make sure you are there to monitor the entire procedure.
Take the pan out of the oven. Allow the wax to dry properly on the baking pan. You can then scrape the wax off of the aluminum foil.
Using Boiled Water
Boiling water is the ideal choice if your candles are of the wide-mouth kind. Pour boiled water over your candle while leaving an inch or two of space at the very top. Let it rest. Make sure you have placed the candle on a heat-proof surface.
You will see the wax rising to the surface of the candle after a while. The process will be a bit slow so please be patient. After all the wax has risen to the top, strain out the water. Do not pour the water down the drain as it will get clogged. Then you can separately remove the wax.
How To Use Leftover Wax For Candle-making?
Now that you know all about the removal and cleaning of old candle wax, you are set to reuse this candle wax and transform it into new candles. I have provided the step-by-step instructions for it below.
Step 1: Take a jar and place a wick in the middle of it. You can also put in multiple wicks if your jar is wide enough to hold them all. Just make sure that there is enough space between the wicks. You can keep the wicks upright with the help of a comb.
Step 2: Pour in the leftover candle wax which you have salvaged recently. It has to be melted.
Step 3: Allow the wax to solidify. If you want to go for a multi-colored and layered candle, make sure the previous layer has completely solidified before adding in a new colored wax layer.
Step 4: After all the layers have solidified, your new candle with recycled old wax is ready.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you should not only know how many times you can reuse candle wax but also have a lot more insight about candle wax than you used to have before. Now, not only will you stop wasting wax, but you can also save a bit of money by making new candles from old wax instead of having to buy new ones.
Even if you sometimes fail, you can start over again and reuse the candle wax as long as it retains its scent. I wish you all the best and thanks for stopping by!
