I have some old candle pots - how do I know if they can be refilled?
The good news is, with our revolutionary Candle Refill Service, we can refill any candle pot!
All of the candles we sell (and have sold since March '21) are refillable with our super simple Pillar Refills.
All other candle pots, from any brand, can be refilled with our Candle Refill Service. If you have pots you’d like us to refill - head over to our website to submit your enquiry and we’ll get back to you within a day or two.
If you have pots that weren’t designed as candle pots, it’s quite possible we can refill those too. We have filled some lovely pots which one of our customers threw in pottery class. We have also filled some mugs! Generally pottery is a safe bet for a candle refill as it’s fired to very high temperatures, so is heat safe, and is glazed so is watertight.
As long as your pot is heat safe and in good condition (to be watertight), we can refill it. We’ve refilled pots as small as 70g (votive size) and as large as 1.2kg! As a general rule, if it was used for a candle before, it’s safe for us to refill, but if you have any queries at all, just drop us a line.
There’s wax left at the end of my candle, is that okay?
We assume you’ll be burning your candles right to the end to enjoy them for as long as possible, but sometimes there is a bit of wax left at the end. That’s perfectly fine. But to make the candle pot ready for refilling, it does need to be completely clean and free from wax residue.
How do I remove the excess wax from the end of my candle?
The best way to do this will depend on what your candle was made out of.
If it was paraffin, then sit your candle pot in your kitchen sink, drop a blob of washing up liquid in and top up to the top with very hot water. Be sure to do this with a room temp candle pot to avoid thermal shock. (Pouring very hot water into a very cold container can cause the container to crack.) When the water cools, you’ll be able to gently lift the disc of wax off the top and pour the water away.
If your candle was made with natural wax, which is much softer than paraffin, you might find it easiest to just gently run a teaspoon around the bottom of the candle pot to gather up the excess wax and then wipe it out with a bit of kitchen roll. Dispose of the wax in your normal rubbish bin. Don’t try to wash it down the sink as it risks getting stuck in the plumbing.
I need to clean my empty candle pot before refilling - what’s the best way to do this?
Now the easy bit - you don’t need any special tools or cleaning materials. Once the excess wax is removed, you can clean your candle pot with hot soapy water. This will get rid of any leftover wax residue or any of the oils used to scent the candle. Then just wipe it dry with a bit of kitchen roll.
Do I need to remove the old wick from my candle pot?
Old wicks always need to be taken out of a candle pot before it is refilled. Usually they can just be eased out with a teaspoon and popped in your normal rubbish bin. If, however, the wick is stuck fast, pour a bit of hot, soapy water into your empty candle pot and leave for a few minutes. This will help loosen the glue used to stick the wick down and then you should be able to pop it out with a nudge from a teaspoon.
If it’s really proving tricky, don’t despair! Send your candle pot to us for refill as normal and we’ll be sure to remove the wick before we refill your candle.
How do I know what size refill to order?
We cost our candle refills by weight - this means you only ever pay for what you get. So, to order a Poured Refill, you need to know what weight of candle you need, or the capacity of the candle pot. This is much simpler than you might think.
There are two easy ways to calculate the weight of refill you need.
- fill your empty and clean candle pot with water, then pour the water into a measuring jug and take the reading of how many millilitres it is.
- set your empty and clean candle pot on a kitchen scales and set the scales to zero. Then fill the candle pot with water and take the reading of how many grams it is.
Et voilà - you have your candle pot capacity!
What scent can I refill my candle with?
Once your candle pot is ready to be refilled, next comes the fun part - choosing your scent! We offer all of our Original Scent Recipes as Poured Refills. From our Aromatherapy range, including Heal and Rest, which are packed full of powerful essential oils, to our Seasons range, released every single season to help you connect with the natural rhythms of creation. From our Signature range which are all inspired by home, to our Seasons of Life range, which are all crafted to help you connect with every individual season you go through in life, like Explore, Joy, Celebrate and Comfort.
You can find all our scents here on the website.
Plus, we are always delighted to talk to you about scents, so if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, do just drop us an email or shoot us a DM on instagram. We will happily help you figure out what scent might be right for you right now.
How do I pack my candle for postage?
Last but not least, you need to pack up your empty candle pot to send it to us. This is obviously very important as we want your candle pot to arrive with us safe and sound. You don’t need to buy expensive packing materials, but you do need to make sure it’s packed really well. We recommend wrapping your candle pot in tissue paper or newsprint, and packing it in a sturdy cardboard box, packed tightly all around with biodegradable packing nuts. And finally, label it clearly as fragile before you hand it to the post person.
The Royal Mail have some very handy guidance on how to pack fragile items for postage.
We love giving old candle pots and new lease of life, so if you have any questions, do drop us a line at: hello@greathousefarmstores.co.uk