Person lighting a candle on a wooden tray with matches and other items.

Reuse and Recycle

How to clean out your used candle vessels and give them new life

We've tested three methods for cleaning out your used candles, as detailed below

Boiling Water Method

EASY AND WORKS FOR ALL CONTAINERS

1. Protect your surface with something heat safe (cutting board, coaster etc) and scrape as much wax as you can out of the vessel with a butter knife or spoon.

2. Boil water in a kettle and then pour some boiling water into the vessel, enough to cover any leftover wax. Let it cool - the wax will melt and then harden on the top.

3. Once cooled, scoop out the wax on top and dispose. Pour out the water and then repeat the above step if any wax remains, until all wax is removed.

4. Remove the metal wick tab at the bottom of the jar or tin. Peel off the candle label and warning sticker and then remove any residue with rubbing alcohol (Goo Gone works too).

5. Place it in the dishwasher or hand wash with very hot, soapy water. And that's it! It's now ready to be recycled or repurposed.

TIP: If you have a wax melter, dry off the removed wax with a towel and use it in your melter to enjoy the remaining fragrance.

CAUTION: The container will be very hot! Please protect your hands and surfaces.

Oven Method

MORE ADVANCED - WORKS WELL FOR CLEANING OUT MULTIPLE CONTAINERS AT ONCE

Please note: This method will be quite fragrant while in process and may also leave some lingering fragrance in your oven (which will dissipate - I have done this many times)

1. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 170 degrees F)

2. Line a rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure it covers the surface in case of any spillage.

3. Place the candle vessels on the pan and set the pan in the oven. Set your timer for 15 minutes and then check on the jars. The remaining wax will melt in about 15-20 minutes typically, so check every 5-10 minutes and proceed to the next step as soon as the wax is melted.

4. Wearing oven mitts, remove the pan and place on a heat-safe surface. While the container is still hot and the wax is liquid, and using oven mitts or rubber gloves (we find thick rubber gloves work well), take each container and discard the melted wax. Immediately + thoroughly wipe the inside of the container with a paper towel to remove excess wax and the metal wick tab. You can also peel off the label and sticker while the vessel is warm, if desired. If you are recycling the glas or metal, the labels should be removed.

5. Hand wash the vessel with very hot, soapy water, again protecting your hands with rubber gloves. Remove any remaining residue with rubbing alcohol (Goo Gone works too).

CAUTION: The container(s) will be very hot! Please protect your hands and surfaces.

Freezing Method

EASIEST FOR CLEANING OUT METAL TINS, USUALLY WORKS FOR JARS TOO

1. For candle jars, break up the wax in the bottom of the vessel with a butter knife if possible. This will help you take it out of the vessel once frozen. With metal tins, this step is typically not neccessary.

2. Place the candle in the freezer for a few hours or until it is frozen.

3. Take it out of the freezer and then loosen / pop the wax out of the container, using a butter knife if needed. Loosend loosen it with a butter knife if necessary.

4. Peel off the candle label and warning sticker and then remove any residue with rubbing alcohol (Goo Gone works too).

5. Place it in the dishwasher or hand wash with very hot, soapy water. And that's it! It's now ready to be recycled or repurposed.

Yes, We Can Refill Your Vessels

We aren't able to accept vessels back to reuse ourselves, but we do offer a refilling service for you!

Drop off your cleaned-out vessels at our shop, Misiyo Slow Living, during store hours. We will refill them for you within 1-2 weeks and let you know when they're ready to pick up.

Refills are $3.00 per oz
Our jars take 8oz of wax, and our tins are about 5.5oz

We do take other vessels up to 3.5 inches in diameter for refilling. They must be concrete, pottery or tempered glass in order to be candle safe and refillable.

Please get in touch with us if you have further questions about our filling service.

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Misiyo Candles

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