Yankee candles are a popular choice for scented candles and have been a focal point or centerpiece in many people’s homes for a long time. However, many people do not know if they expire or go bad in time. In this blog post, we will discuss the shelf life of Yankee candles and answer the question once and for all!
Do Yankee Candles expire?
The simple answer is no, Yankee candles do not expire. However, like any other scented product, they will eventually lose their scent and become less potent over time. The average shelf life for a Yankee candle is around 3-5 years due to the fact that they are made using paraffin wax, but this can vary depending on how well the candle is cared for and stored.
Do Yankee Candles go off or bad?
Because Yankee Candles are not a foodstuff or made from natural ingredients such as essential oils which can expire so they do not go ‘off’ in the same way that food does. However, as we’ve established, the scent will fade over time so they can be considered ‘bad’.
You will not find that your Yankee Candle goes moldy or starts smelling funky if it goes bad, instead you will find that your candle just does not smell at all.
How to store your Yankee Candle to extend its shelf life.
If you do not burn your Yankee Candles frequently and want to keep them fresh and preserved for when you need them, it is important to make sure that you store them correctly.
The best way to store Yankee candles so that they do not go bad is to keep them in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. You should also make sure that the candles are not stored near any other scented products as this can cause the scent to fade quicker.
Also, it is quite important to keep the provided lids on them to prevent dust from settling on the surface of the wax which can ruin the candle. Using a lid will also keep the scent contained and from dissipating when not in use.
Maintaining a Yankee Candle for the best performance
There are some simple steps that you should take to keep your Yankee Candle at its best for each and every burn.
Before its first use make sure to trim the wick to around ¼ of an inch, this will help to prevent your candle from smoking. Each time you light it thereafter make sure to trim the wick again so that it is only ¼ of an inch.
When you have finished burning your candle for the session, ensure that you put the lid back on to keep the candle from losing its scent throw.
Another important tip is to make sure to burn your candle long enough for the molten wax pool to reach the sides of the container each time. Doing this will ensure that your Yankee candle melts evenly and will not suffer from tunneling. Tunneling is where you end up with a big pit in the center of the candle and a build-up of wax around the sides and this dramatically reduces the amount of burn time in your candle by up to 50%.
How long do Yankee candles burn for?
We have talked about the shelf life and if Yankee candles expire or go bad but just as important is the amount of burn time that you get from your Yankee Candle.
Burn time is the total amount of hours of time that your candle will last when it is lit. Each type of candle wax has a different amount of burn time but we know that Yankee Candles use pretty toxic Paraffin wax as their main ingredient.
Because of this, the average burn time for a Yankee Candles is as follows:
- Small Jar: 20-3 Hours of burn time.
- Medium Jar: 65-75 Hours of burn time.
- Large Jar: 110-150 Hours of burn time.
(Source for Yankee Candle burn time: https://www.yankeecandle.co.uk/candle-burn-times.html )
As I mentioned above though many different scenarios could affect these times such as storage and allowing the candle not to start tunneling. Even the trimming of the wick is important as a wick that is too large will cause a flame that is too big and extra heat which in turn speeds up the burning process.
Final thoughts.
Yankee Candles are a very popular addition in many households. They certainly have a long burn time and can be quite expensive for what they are. So with this in mind, it is good that they do not expire or go bad as long as you take good care of them when not in use and just do a little maintenance on them after each use.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog post and that it has provided you with the information that you were looking for. If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to contact me.
I started Scents and Aroma as a way to share my knowledge from owning a candle, wax melt, diffuser and bath bomb business so that you can make your home smell lovely too.
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