Soaking candles in saltwater?

[SatinDucky]

I saw this as a tip on DIY yesterday. They said to lay the candle in your sink with just enough water to cover it and 2 tablespoons of salt, then let it soak for 2 hours. Said it makes the wax harder so it would drip less and burn longer as well as burn cleaner?

This just doesn't sound right to me...

[TxSioux]

Not sure what it would do for the wax, but I sure can't imagine anything good happening to the wick! Did they happen to have a video & show the candle burning? I've seen some very questionable tips from DIY before & really wonder how much research they put into what they write.

Susan.

[gingerinarkansas]

I saw that on DIY too but wasn't sure if it worked. If anyone tries it, please post results. I've always heard storing in the freezer prolonged a candles life but I've never tried it either. Ginger

[Late Night]

I don't know about the saltwater bath either but I've heard putting candles in the freezer helps them to drip less. It is supposed to help prevent tapers from dripping wax onto your table cloth. I don't know if it works or not. I always thought a drippy taper looked nice. Especially in Italian restaurants when they are in wine bottles with wax dripping down the bottle.

[topofmurrayhill]

It all seems like bullshite advice. The best thing is to buy a candle that's designed and tested by the manufacturer to burn well. I don't think there's any technique that's likely to improve a good candle or fix a bad one.

If the saltwater does anything it's probably the wick that's affected. It might burn slower, which isn't necessarily good if the wick is right to begin with. Soaking in various salts is part of how candle wick is classically made, which prevents it from just going pooft when you light it. I would just like to know how the wick is ever supposed to dry out if the candle sucks water in.

[Oh-MYo]

I also saw someone do this on How It Is Made....but assumed that since it was such a pretty candle it wasnt really meant to be burned anyway.

It sounds good--but if I have never read such a thing on Candletech with all you great chandlers, I cant imagine that it works---or you guys would already know about it.

Anyone can make such a claim but I cant imagine that soaking a candle in salt water does anything good at all. Aint wax supoosed ta be waterproof??!! And wick well..wicks! Water, molten wax...etc.

You can read or hear a lot of self proclaimed experts--even those who tell you that you can use crayons in your candles. Heh! yah right!

[sassy906]

I just saw that on Ecosoya main page, the trivia quiz. It asks the question about what to do to make the candle drip less

[PamR]

Not sure about the salt soak, but my MIL kept tapers in the freezer, & when we took them out to burn during a blackout, they fell apart, lol. As we all know when wax freezes, it cracks. So don't put your candles in the freezer, & save the salt for french fries!

PamR

[MeAndMyPuppyDog]

All total bullcrap (since we used bullsh!t already.)

Here's a candle burning guide that puts it in a funny way:

http://www.buyacandle.com/shop_burningguide.html

[Shannipants27]

To all of you naysayers, it's not bullshit at all. I watched my mother do it for years, mostly at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I could be mistaken but I don't remember her actually having to soak the candles. I just remember her rolling the candles in the saltwater mixture, letting them dry, and PRESTO! Dripless candles! But maybe that was just a child's perception. I do know for a fact though, that my mother's candles never dripped, and she definitely attributed that to the saltwater mixture.