Are candles hurtful to your home?

5/16/2018 (Permalink)

Clip the wick...

Did you know that burning all those candles do more than set the mood and/or scent the air with fragrance?  Burning candles can cause soot throughout a home.  Soot is a powdery black substance composed primarily of small carbon particles, and is the natural byproduct of incomplete combustion.  There have been studies that 100% soy or beeswax candles are somewhat cleaner burning, but a lot of candles are are made with Paraffin Wax and/or blend of different types of waxes.    

The soot from burning candles often accumulate and cling to walls, ceilings, furniture, contents and even carpet.  In more extreme cases, candles burning by an HVAC return can have soot distributed throughout the home via its HVAC system.

Soot cleaning a home is very labor intensive and therefore soot damage can be a costly expense.  At SERVPRO, we utilize Specialty Dry Cleaning Sponges to remove soot from walls, ceilings, appliances, furniture and contents.  After cleaning, we recommend the painted surfaces be primed and/or sealed and then painted.  Please note, if a thorough cleaning is not completed prior to painting, staining can appear after a period of time through the paint.  Upholstered furniture and textiles need to be cleaned and sometimes the staining from the soot does not come out.

What can you do to avoid this?  Occasional burning of candles is fine, just remember these factors:  Buy quality well-made candles; Keep the wick trimmed down to ¼ inch, if you see black smoke coming from the candle, it is often a sign that the wick is too long; Candles should really be burned in a well ventilated area, however you do want to keep the burning candle away from drafty areas (the flame should not be flickering or dancing around); Use jar toppers/cappers for large jar candles and for other candles, use a glass vase or hurricane.

If you have questions or concerns about the result of burning candles in your home, call SERVPRO of Albany and Americus at 229-439-2048 today!