Enjoy a burning candle without worrying about your safety. Before you ‘light up,’ read the safety tips outlined below. Abide by them every time you light a wick and enjoy the ambience and scented relaxation your candles provide over and over.

Safety tips for the conscientious candle user:

• Never place a lit candle underneath a vent. The air coming out could cause the flame to jump to nearby curtains, tablecloth, etc.

• Give that candle top billing in the middle of a table or atop a sturdy counter; don’t wedge it between flammable items. One reason that candles are taboo inside dorm rooms is the close quarters. If your area is also congested, consider lighting a candle somewhere else.

• Trim that wick. A high one is more exposed, giving the flame more room to ‘jump.’

• Always contain the wax that inevitably will melt over. For a votive, this means a sturdy glass holder. An obvious benefit of jar candles is that the jar contains the wax. If you do not want to be bothered to remember to use holders or trays, always choose a jar candle.

• If you or someone in your household has respiratory challenges, consider soy-based candles that emit no scent. These clean burning candles do not release the soot that traditional wax candles emit, leaving no airborne reminder that they have been lit at all. A note for the penny-pinching candle buyer: Soy burns slower than traditional wax, so these candles last longer.

• Use a snuffing instrument to extinguish the flame. Many people think that licking two fingers and pinching the wick is sufficient. It goes without saying that this practice can easily result in burns. The fire is often not completely extinguished, leaving the fire to sputter and emit a good deal of soot.

• If you are planning to light floating candles, make sure that there is nothing in that bowl of water that could catch fire. Sprigs of foliage are not a good addition here. If you are going to use floating candles, float them in the water and don’t add anything else to the bowl.

• When lighting any candle, use the correct lighting instrument. For an exposed wick, a cigarette lighter or match is fine. For mature candles that have begun to lose their wicks, use a lighter that lets you keep the flame away from your fingers.

A burning candle represents so much. Ambience, heat, aromatherapy and an escape from the everyday stresses of life are just a few. Use your candle collection responsibly and enjoy all the benefits they have to offer.