This is how you safely put out a candle

candle

There are different ways to extinguish your candle

Candles are a great way to create ambiance in your home. In winter, candles can literally bring a little light into the world. But when you leave the house or when it is time to go to bed, you have to put out the candles. And apparently, there are different ways to do it that might not all be equally safe or healthy.

Blowing

The most common way to put out a candle, is by blowing it out. This is something we have all done. Whether it’s the candles on our birthday cake or the candles we use to cozy up our house, blowing out candles is the one method we have all used. But it is also the least healthy way to extinguish a candle. When you blow out the candle, there is smoke coming off the wick. Smoke that you will breathe in. Another thing you’re breathing in, is particulate matter. These teeny tiny pieces are released when the glowing wick isn’t able to turn the candle’s wax into carbon dioxide. This incomplete combustion creates a cloud of particulate matter that is just as bad for you as breathing in smoke.

We’ll definitely be thinking about this, next time we see candles on a birthday cake.

By hand

This always looks very cool: someone wets their thumb and index finger a little and then just grabs the candle wick with both fingers. This will extinguish the flame immediately and it makes you feel like an action hero. The downside? You’re still touching hot stuff. This means that if you do this more than once, you might eventually get hurt. Worst case scenario: you’ll get a blister from burning your fingers. Putting out the candles this way might just not be worth the pain or the discomfort that a burn blister causes.

Candle extinguisher

An easy option to put out candles that will save your hands (and your breath) is a candle extinguisher. This way, you don’t have to touch the candle. Depending on your candle snuffer, you won’t even have to get too close! The only downside: particulate matter still gets released this way and so it still isn’t the healthiest of options.

Bend the candle wick

This is a method that we had never heard of before but it sounds so simple and safe that we feel like we should try it too! If you use a stick or tweezers to bend the candle wick into the wax, the flame will go out too. This way, no particulate matter is released and there is no smoke to breathe in. The only thing to keep in mind, is to bend the candle wick back to its original position after you put out the candle. This way the wick won’t get stuck in the candle when the wax dries. If you bend it back, it will maintain the right form and you can easily light it again.

Sounds easy enough right?

Also read: This is why burning a candle can be bad for your health

Source: Max Vandaag | Image: Unsplash, Storiès