Hey there! I totally admire your dedication to your candle-making practice—especially since it’s tied to something meaningful and spiritual. It’s great that you’re experimenting and learning what works best for your setup. Cleaning the jars – You’re right, that smoky residue can be stubborn! Besides hot water soaking, you might try adding a little vinegar or baking soda to the water—both can help cut through soot. Some candle makers swear by using a bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to finish up the job. Wick suggestions – Zinc-core wicks can sometimes burn too hot for narrow jars like the 7-day ones, which may explain the sooting. You might want to test out cotton or paper core wicks instead, which can give a steadier, cleaner burn. Alternative jars – If you're thinking of trying different containers, thrift stores often have tons of inexpensive glassware that can be repurposed for candles. Finding more 7-day jars – You might try checking with local dollar stores or even nearby churches—they often go through these jars and might be willing to save you empties. Even for personal use—or especially if you ever decide to share or sell your candles—thoughtfully designedcustom candle boxes can add a beautiful finishing touch and help protect your jars during storage or transport. Hope that helps, and happy candle crafting! 😊

I should've posted to that i have bought from different places to make all 30 of these candles. Everything wasn't bought at just by nature. So it's not that there products arn't good its something that i am doing. I've had a varity of products from different sellers and still no result......Thanks

I have been making and selling candles for ten years now. When I started, I was using parafin but within a year I switched to soy. That was about the time they had introduced soy. I use a crock pot. My husband drilled a hole near the bottom, on the side, and put a spicot on it. I melt the wax in the crock pot. I have it set on the dial where it wil heat the wax to 150 degrees. I then pour the amount of melted wax that I want (let's say 14oz) into a glass measuring cup. I then add the scent. Usually about 1oz. It also depends on how strong the scent is, so take a wiff while your stirring. That will be about how strong it will be when the candle is burning. Then I add the coloring. I've tried different ways to color and I liked the liquid color the best but now I don't use any coloring. My label for my jars are the color the candle would be. As soon as I have added the sent and color, I pour it right into the jars.(I use 8oz mason jars) I don't heat my jars first but I do have my wicks already 'glued' into the jars before I pour in the wax. I put a dab of hot glue on the wick tab and attach it to the bottom of the jar. That way it stays centered and in place while the wax is cooling. The 14oz that I mentioned above plus the scent will fill two 8oz jars just right. Once the wax cools, I cut off the wick and put on the lid. I have not had any problems with the scent of my candles. I have repeat buyers. My question to you is what kind of wick do you use. I use a hemp core wick that is already tabbed and dipped in wax to stiffen it. It sounds as if you might be using a zinc core wick. The zinc core wicks will cause alot of the same problems you're having. I tried to use up the zinc core wicks that I had left over from when I made parafin candles and they do not work in soy wax. I was trying to save myself some money but that didn't work. I buy my supplies from Bitter Creek Candle Supply. A link to their site below. I would recommend them to anyone. They have alot of helpful ideas and they do have live help on their site. I don't know what time of day but they usually have someone on there everyday. You can also call them on the phone and there is always someone available. They love talking about candles. I hope this has helped you. Keep trying, you'll get the hang of it. Cindy Here is a link that might be useful: Bitter Creek Candle Supply

Not just termites, but soil holds moisture, so it's best to avoid having it up against anything other than concrete, such as wood siding, due to the risk of moisture rotting the wood. Note, the old house guys say that 'dry rot' is a misnomer - it normally means the wood was wet for some time. If your vinyl siding comes down over the concrete and that's all that is behind it, then maybe it's not an emergency. I've seen termites where I live, they are everywhere, and we always leave an expanse of exposed concrete to keep them from getting behind the siding into the wall (or crawling upwards till they find the wood wall) without being exposed to light. Never soil up against siding because there is protected air space behind it that can be used as a highway for not only termites but ants and other bugs. I'm going to guess that if you showed this to your pest control guy during your annual inspection you might see a raised eyebrow. It's up to you to decide what is appropriate. If this were my house I would get some bricks or blocks and make a border along the back with an inch or two of air between the blocks and the building. Or a treated timber or 2x4 on edge. Just my two cents.