Cleaning and Reusing Candle Holders

We love to recycle and reuse every chance we get, so naturally I'm certainly not going to throw away a nice heavy candle holder when I can re-purpose it for other things.  I was in love with the Glade winter selection they had out around Christmas time, especially the Frosted Berry Kiss scent! Yum!  So I have many jars left over that I needed to clean up.

I use an old trick I learned a very long time ago to get them all clean and ready for another use again.  You will need a flat head screw driver, Dawn dish soap, a small amount of water, your microwave and a paper towel to get your candle holders sparkling clean again.

This is what is normally left over after the candle won't burn anymore.  You'll need to scrape out as much wax and the little metal wick holder that's stuck in the bottom of the jar.

Don't skip this step because your microwave will not like it if you put metal inside her!  Use your flat head screw driver to scrape out the wax and then very carefully lift out the metal wick holder.  It is stuck with glue to the bottom of the jar, so sometimes removing the metal piece is harder than others.

Drop in a few drops of soap and then fill your jar about half full with water.  Add water and soap mixture filled jars to your microwave.  Since all microwaves are different, start with small time increments and work your way up until the water is bubbling hot.  I have a 30 second button on mine and it normally takes a few times to get the water hot.  If you don't have a microwave, you can use boiling water instead.

Carefully remove the jar using an oven mitt or towel (they are HOT) and pour the water/soap mixture out.  Using a paper towel, wipe out the hot wax.  It usually all comes out with the first wipe like you see above.

Now, after you have all the wax removed, its time to finish cleaning the little jars for their next use.

Add another few drops of soap and warm water and clean up with your (old) scrubber sponge and then polish with paper towels until they are like new again .  NOTE: In case you missed last week's post when I shared with you my secret on how to make your stainless sink shiny, look HERE and see how.

Tah Dah! All clean and clear and ready to use around your house in some other fun project.  Or maybe you just want to add another votive candle to it and use it as a candle holder again.

I may use these three for my Valentine decorating or maybe to hold Valentine candies.  Hmm? The possibilities are endless!

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

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