When to "Lid" your candles after pouring

[wthomas57]

So, I know I stumbled upon a thread talking about this once on here but for the life of me cant find it.

Not sure I am choosing the right search words.

 

I'm just curious after pouring, how long do you let them sit before adding a lid or cover?

Do any of you let yours sit for days or weeks without covering? I remember seeing some mass candle manufactures on you tube or something

a while back and theyd pour massive amounts obviously and theyd sit there for sometime before finally being covered and packaged. 

 

I always tend to cover my as soon as possible as I am always worried about losing scent as the fragrance continues to evaporate while curing. Is this a real concern?

Am I actually losing fragrance if I dont do that? Additionally.. what about your candles that are completely hardened and cured. Do you still store them with lids or does it matter (in regards to scent retention) at that point?

 

The reason I am asking is I often pour candles that will end up using different lids (depending on the event, or who its for, etc). And since lids take on the scent of the candle they are on, I dont really want to lid one for a week, then realize it will need a different lid and then have two switch. I end up with the new lid holding very little fragrance and the previously lid now smelling ONLY like the candle it just came off of and I cant use it other than back on same scented candle.

 

I'm sure I am making a mountain out of a mole hill here, but thought I'd ask anyway.

 

Thanks all

[TallTayl]

I lid mine as soon as they are cool/firm enough to not disturb the wick. I don't have the room to store hundreds of candles waiting to be lidded, plus it would give dust, debris, etc. and marring a chance to damage the tops.

[wthomas57]

1 minute ago, TallTayl said:

...I don't have the room to store hundreds of candles waiting to be lidded, plus it would give dust, debris, etc. and marring a chance to damage the tops.

This is why I do the same thing... but didn't know if there was any truth or concern about fragrance "escaping" without a lid. Or if the lid actually helps or not.

 

thanks

[Moonstar]

Same here - I don't have the room + not sure what the answer is about fragrance escaping.

[Candybee]

Fragrance escaping?!!! That's a first. Not in my experience.

 

I lid mine as soon as the wax has hardened enough it won't slosh around in the jar... which usually means within an hour or two or at least by the end of my candlemaking day. I don't want my candle tops getting dust or foreign debris in them so I lid asap.

 

If you are worried about scent from the candle on the lid and you want to change it out wash it off in white vinegar and rinse. Works for me. I often change lids for the season or if its a special order.

 

Can't say I have ever had any experience with FO escaping or disapating from an unlidded candle. At least not a fully cured candle. I always lid right away so have only had unlidded candles sit for months on my hearth after they have already cured. They smell just as awesome unlidded after 6 months as they do lidded.

 

The only candles I have ever had FO fade was a crystal palm wax pillar I made. It was a beautiful 9" tall cinnamon vanilla palm pillar I made and put it on display on a shelf. Well, after about a year I noticed when I finally burned it the scent had faded. But the other cinnamon palm wax pillars I made and burned within 6 months were fine.

 

Palm also has a characteristic of the outermost layer losing scent, but once you burn the candle and get that melt pool they smell great.

 

So my only experience of scent fading from any candle is with palm wax pillars being left unpacked and naked for a year or longer.

[wthomas57]

Great, thanks for the responses. what you all are saying what what I had always thought and in fact, what I do as well. Just wanted to make sure.

I also lid mine right away to keep any unwanted debris and dust off... but I cover them while curing even first couple hours often as well.

And thanks for the suggestion on the cleaning out the lids... I have had some luck with that but generally depends on the lid. Metal or glass it works just fine.

I have issues with the flat brushed metal lids that have the silicon/rubber seal in them. Those are next to impossible for me to get the scent out of. But Ill give it another go.

 

Thanks again for the reassurance and feedback!

[Trappeur]

If my candles are made in the morning, I put the lid on in the evening or the next morning.

 

Trappeur

[Jcandleattic]

7 hours ago, wthomas57 said:

I always tend to cover my as soon as possible as I am always worried about losing scent as the fragrance continues to evaporate while curing. Is this a real concern?

Am I actually losing fragrance if I dont do that? Additionally.. what about your candles that are completely hardened and cured. Do you still store them with lids or does it matter (in regards to scent retention) at that point?

Fragrance will not evaporate. A correctly made jar candle will have scent for the life of the candle. The cold throw may fade a bit if uncovered, but once lit, it should throw as well as any testers you have made. Candles, like soap, and fine wine, IMO only get better with age. 

I lid mine as soon as they are hardened and no longer warm to the touch.