FAQs

Before every burn, trim the wick to about 5 mm. A trimmed wick burns cleaner, with less soot, and helps your candle burn evenly and last longer.

The first time you light your candle, let the wax melt right across to the edge of the glass. This takes about 3 hours for both sizes and stops tunnelling. After that, let the wax melt to the edge each time.

Burn your candle for no more than four hours at a time, then let it cool before you light it again. Longer burns can make the wick lean or drift, which leads to uneven burning.

Keep your candle away from draughts, vents, or air currents. This will help prevent rapid and uneven burning.

Use a snuffer to extinguish your candle. This is safer than blowing it out, as it prevents hot wax from splattering and reduces smoke.

Regularly clean the container of your candle. Remove any wick trimmings, matches, or other debris to ensure a safe and pleasant burning experience.

Place your candle on a stable, heat-resistant surface away from anything flammable. Never leave a burning candle unattended.

When not in use, store your candle in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. This helps maintain its scent and colour.

Our candles are poured into clear glass, and the glass can be recycled once your candle has burned down.

A flickering flame can be fascinating to young children and pets, and they may not understand the dangers it poses. To prevent accidents, always place burning candles well out of reach of children and animals. Even when a candle is not lit, it's important to store it in a place where curious hands and paws can't reach it. This helps to avoid any unexpected incidents, such as tipping over the candle or ingesting any part of it.

Snap off one segment (two for a larger room) and place it in a tea-light or electric wax burner. As the wax warms it releases its fragrance; the wax itself never burns. Each segment gives about 4 hours of fragrance, about 20 hours per bar. When the scent fades, let the wax cool and set, then lift it out and add a fresh segment.

Our 100 ml reed diffuser lasts up to 12 weeks, depending on the room. It comes with 7 black fibre reeds: turn them weekly to refresh the scent, and use fewer for a softer fragrance that lasts longer. Our 800 ml large reed diffuser gives 9 to 12 months of fragrance with 6 extra-long reeds; turn them once a month and fit new reeds every 3 to 4 months. Replacement reeds are available for both.

Spray a few times into the air in the middle of the room and let the fragrance settle. It's a quick way to freshen a hallway before guests arrive, or a spare room before someone comes to stay. Our room mists are for rooms only.

Our candles are a vegetable & mineral wax blend, delicately hand-poured in Dorset into clear glass and cured for no less than two weeks. Our wax melts are a soy & mineral blend with the same fragrance oils, hand-poured here too. Our reed diffusers, room mists, hand wash and lotion are made in Dorset, and our hand wash and lotion are vegan friendly.

Animals can react to fragrance, just as people can, and some fragrance ingredients, including some essential oils, are known to be harmful to pets. If your pet is sensitive to scented products, or you're not sure, please ask your vet before using them around your pet. Each product's Safety & allergens section lists the allergens in its fragrance, and candles and wax burners should always be kept out of reach of pets.

We deliver to UK addresses by Standard delivery, usually in 2 to 4 days. Delivery is from £4.50, depending on the weight of your order.

Not at the moment: we deliver to UK addresses only.

Yes. Any of our candles, small or large, can go out in a premium quality matte black gift box tied with an elegant ribbon and bow, for £5. Tick “Add a gift box and ribbon” on the candle's page and add your own message of up to 150 characters; we'll put it in the box on a gift note.

Yes, from £10 to £100. Our gift cards are electronic, so there's nothing to post, and they can be spent on anything in our online shop.

You can ask to return an item within 14 days of delivery, and we need to receive it back within 28 days of the original delivery date. Items must be unused and in the condition you received them, and return postage is paid by you. We can't accept returns of sale items or gift cards.

If something arrives damaged or faulty, please email us within 3 days of receiving your order, with a photo, and we'll refund or replace it.

To start a return, email us at hello@dorsetwaxandwicks.co.uk. Full details are in our refund policy.