The Dangers of Scented Candles
There is another hidden danger when it comes to candles, primarily, scented candles - which come with a time-limit warning. In fact, if you had to take a close look at scented candles you will see a warning sign, telling you not to burn them for more than three hours at a time. And this isn't just a suggestion either, rather, it is a grave warning.
Allowing candles to burn for too long is more of a risk than just your candle wax being all burnt up. In fact, there are some negative health side effects that exist with letting scented candles burn. Having first-hand experience into what these side effects are is Megan Bunton, a new mom from Hoboken who casually lit two large scented candles and went about her day while she was at home with her newborn child.
Problems started to surface when it was time to feed the baby. At that point, Megan noticed that the inside of her child's nostrils was covered in a black substance. As a first solution she swabbed and cleaned out his nose with saline. But after noticing that there were still remnants of the black substance, she panicked and took her baby to the doctor.
She realized that those candles she had left burning for six or seven hours in the apartment were to blame. It turns out that when these scented candles are burnt past their recommended amount of time, they produce soot which can contaminate the air.
ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialist Dr. Lisa Liberatore says that this is a common yet harmful mistake. “Patients come in all the time without putting those pieces together,” Dr. Liberatore said on the issue. “I’ll usually go through a checklist to see which aspects of their environment might be affecting them, and this time of year, it’s almost always because we’re burning candles.”
Though it is not necessary to keep all scented candles out of your home, it is crucial to pay closer attention to the candles you buy. It is also recommended that you always purchase candles from a reputable source and cheap candles with too much fragrance have a tendency to produce this dangerous soot.
In addition, make sure that you always read the label and see how long the recommended burning time is. Another trick you may want to bear in mind is to keep the candle wick trimmed so that it is about 1/8" above the wax, and if you see soot rising from the candle, make sure you put it out immediately.