Why does soaking candles in salt water make them dripless? Does anyone know a scientific reason?
This entry was posted on Jul 26 2008
Felicitaz asked:
I read about this online and have tried it twice. Both times it worked beautifully, and the salted candles burned a couple hours longer than the unsalted candles. I’ve used the method on cheap dollar store candles. What does the salt do to the candles to change the way they burn?
I read about this online and have tried it twice. Both times it worked beautifully, and the salted candles burned a couple hours longer than the unsalted candles. I’ve used the method on cheap dollar store candles. What does the salt do to the candles to change the way they burn?
I’m making a huge guess here, so take this for what it’s worth. Maybe someone else knows for sure what is going on.
I’m assuming you used a saltwater solution and immersed the candles into this saltwater bath. Yes?
My guess is, the sale has diffused to some small degree into the outer surface of the candle. The salt then is acting like a bit of an insulator to the outer portion of the candle so that it doesn’t get soft and melt.
Also, it may raise the temperature of the immediate interior of the candle, near the flame, so that it burns hotter and more efficiently.
As a result, more of the candle is consumed in the candle (candle wax is the fuel for the candle flame…that I DO know….lol), and the extra candle wax requires more time, and then takes longer to be consumed, mkaing the candle last longer.
I sure never heard of this, but it’s wicked cool…now I’m gonna have to try it too!
Great question!
Not sure why salt is important to this, but waxes tend to be permeable to water, so soaking a candle in water for a couple of hours means that the outer surface of the candle will be loaded with water.
Since water is extra mass with a high specific heat as well as a high energy of vaporization, the outer surface of the candle will have effectively a higher melting point than the dry wax in the center of the candle, thereby allowing the wax that’s closest to the wick to burn and melt faster than the wax on the outer surface of the candle.