Wax Melts 101: How to Use Wax Melts & Get the Best Fragrance
There’s something pretty great about walking into a room and realizing it smells amazing.
Wax melts are one of the easiest ways to add fragrance to your home without lighting a candle. They are simple to use, easy to change with your mood or the season, and perfect for those days when you want fragrance quietly working in the background while life carries on.
If you are new to wax melts, or you have used them for years but occasionally wondered whether you are doing it “right,” here is what you need to know.
What Are Wax Melts?
Wax melts are pieces of scented wax made to be warmed rather than burned with a wick.
As the wax warms and melts, it releases fragrance into the room. Unlike a candle, the wax itself does not disappear as you use it. Eventually the fragrance fades, even though the wax may still look perfectly fine.
That makes wax melts especially nice if you enjoy changing fragrance often. Today can smell bright and fresh. Tomorrow can be warm woods and amber.
How Do You Use Wax Melts?
You will need a wax melt warmer with a dish or warming area designed specifically for melting scented wax.
Place a small amount of wax in the dish and turn on the warmer. As the wax begins to melt, the fragrance will gradually fill the room. There is no need to fill the dish. Starting with a smaller amount gives you more control over the fragrance level, and you can always add a little more. Room size, airflow, the fragrance itself and the type of warmer you use can all affect how noticeable the scent becomes.
One distinction worth knowing is that a candle warmer lamp and a wax melt warmer are not necessarily the same thing.
Candle warmer lamps are typically designed to warm a candle from above, while wax melt warmers include a dish made to hold melted wax. Always use your warmer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
How Much Wax Should You Use?
More is not always better.
The right amount depends mostly on the size of your warmer’s dish. You want enough wax to create a nice melt pool without coming close to overflowing. Starting small also lets you adjust the fragrance more easily. Some scents naturally have a little more presence than others. A rich amber or spice fragrance may need less wax than something light and airy.
How Long Do Wax Melts Last?
Fragrance longevity can vary depending on the wax, fragrance composition, warmer temperature, room size and airflow in your home.
The simplest rule is this: when the wax is warm and you can no longer smell the fragrance, it is probably time to replace it. The wax may still look completely normal. That is expected. The fragrance has simply been released over time.
When Is It Time for a New Scent?
Once the fragrance has faded, let the warmer cool completely before removing the old wax.
Depending on the warmer, cooled wax may lift out fairly easily. If it does not, follow the cleaning directions for your particular warmer rather than scraping or forcing the wax from the dish.
Then comes the fun part, choosing what the house smells like next.
Choosing the Right Fragrance
Instead of thinking about what you are supposed to like, think about how you want the room to feel.
Bright citrus and fresh fragrances can work beautifully in kitchens and open living spaces. Woods, amber and earthy scents can bring depth to bedrooms, dens and quiet corners of the house. Florals can be soft and airy or rich and dramatic.
And fragrance does not have to follow the calendar perfectly. Sometimes you want salt air and sunshine. Sometimes you want autumn in Florida even though the thermometer says 87 degrees.
We understand.
Scent has a remarkable way of connecting us to places, seasons and memories. That is part of what makes home fragrance so personal.
An Easy Way to Change the Mood at Home
One of the things we love most about wax melts is how little commitment they require.
You can change the fragrance with the weather, your mood, the room or simply because Tuesday felt like it needed something different. They work especially well in smaller spaces and are an easy way to try a fragrance before deciding whether you want it in a larger candle.
They are also handy for people who enjoy having different scents throughout the house rather than one fragrance everywhere.
A Different Way to Enjoy Lemon Bluff Fragrance
At Lemon Bluff Candle Company, fragrance has always been at the heart of what we do. Our wax melts simply give you another way to bring those fragrances home.
They are easy to use, easy to switch and perfectly suited to those ordinary days when you want something wonderful warming in the background while dinner is cooking, laundry is happening, the dogs are underfoot and life is carrying on.
Because home does not need to be complicated. Sometimes it just needs to smell really, really good.