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10
Candle Tips for Consumers
How
To Minimize Indoor Pollution From Candles
Although
candles create a warm, inviting feeling within the home during the
holidays and throughout the year, there is research showing that candle
usage can create problems for your home’s interior.
Burning
candles can emit small amounts of toxins such as acetone,
benzene, lead
and mercury into the
air. Normal use of candles should not pose a health hazard. Large
quantities of these toxins, however, may prove to be harmful.
Candle
emissions can also leave dark shadows (ghosting) or soot on walls, on
furniture and in the heating and cooling system, often costing
homeowners thousands of dollars to fix.
The
following are tips to minimize candle pollution in your home:
Because
many scented and slow burning candles may contain metals, consumers
should look to see if the core of the wick is shiny metal. If you see
metal, do not burn, or check with the manufacturer.
When
you do burn candles, keep the wicks cut short to one-quarter of an inch.
The longer the wick, the larger the flame, the brighter the candle, the
more the soot.
Keep
candles away from drafty places. Wind will blow soot and toxins into the
air and cause inefficient burning, a cause of smoking or sooting.
Avoid
putting small children directly on carpet. Lead and other pollutants
from candles are attracted to synthetic fibers often used in upholstery
and carpeting.
Refrain
from burning scented or slow-burning candles that have additives. Look
for candles, such as bees wax, that do not contain high levels of
pollutants.
Keep
your home clean. Vacuuming may just re-circulate particles unless you
use high-performance vacuum bags that catch micro particles.
Use
a good filtration system on your furnace that attracts micro particles.
High performance furnace filters minimize the level of pollutants that
circulate throughout your home. Changing filters more frequently will
help reduce the amount of micro particles in the home.
Be
aware of candles and holiday products that have been recalled by the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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