Cleaning used jars

Knowing how to clean your candle jars for recycling or reuse is nothing short of life-changing. Here are two tried-and-true methods for removing that last half-inch of wax from your jar.

Cold method

  1. Place room-temperature jar in the freezer with the lid off for half an hour. The wax will contract with the cold.

  2. Remove the jar and chip out the wick tab and the hardened wax with a butter knife.

  3. Reuse the wax fragments in a wax warmer or place in a sock or scrap fabric to act as potpourri.

  4. Discard the wick tab in the trash or reuse in creative ways.

  5. Wipe out the jar with rubbing alcohol, then wash with soap and water.

  6. Place lid in the sunlight for several days to help neutralize scent.

Warm method

  1. Place room-temperature jar with the lid off in a warm oven (approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit) for several minutes, until the wax is just melted. Do not place jar in microwave; wick tab is metal.

  2. Wipe out the wax with a paper towel and discard, or pour the wax into a new candle-safe vessel or silicone mold for later use as your own candle or wax melt. Never pour wax down a drain.

  3. Use a butter knife to pry out the wick tab and discard in the trash or reuse it in creative ways.

  4. Wipe out the jar with rubbing alcohol, then wash with soap and water.

  5. Place lid in the sunlight for several days to help neutralize scent.