Question: I was wondering if you have any suggestions on what to do with the leftover candle wax once the wick has burnt all the way down. I buy a lot of jar candles, pillar candles and mini candles as I enjoy using them. However, I always find there is so much wax left over once the wick has burned up and feel it's such a waste to throw it out. That being said, I also have a lot of glass jars from these used up candles. What else can I do with the glass jars, as they come in all sorts of neat shapes and sizes? Steph, Morden
Answer: Since your candles already carry a fragrance, there are additional ways to get every scent from the leftover wax. Melt the wax and dip pinecones into the wax (add additional fragrance and sparkles to decorate for upcoming holidays) let wax harden. Wrap pinecones in cellophane and give them out as hostess gifts. Wax coated pinecones make great fire starters and table decorations for Christmas. Or melt wax and pour into silicone muffin tins, allow the wax to harden, pop wax out of the muffin tins and toss them into sandwich bags. Seal bags and make a few holes in the bags. Put homemade wax fresheners into unused suitcases, drawers and bathrooms to freshen the room. Many people own candle warmers, use your old candles to create your own wax cubes in these devices to save yourself lots of money.
Before using the jar, pour hot water inside to melt leftover wax. Clean the jar. Use jar for storing silver jewelry (add a piece of chalk to prevent tarnish). Store loose coins, First Aid kit, pen holder, vase, button holder or put small gifts in jars and wrap with paper.
Feedback from readers
Re: Peeling hard-boiled eggs under water benefits the ease of peeling:
The ease of removing the shell of cooked egg depends upon two things. First, and most important, is the age of the egg. The fresher, the more difficult to remove. Providing you cool the eggs quickly once cooked, using eggs just prior to their best before date guarantees ease of removal. The only part of the egg benefiting from being super fresh is the yolk. When cooking hard boiled eggs however, the freshness is totally lost. What does benefit in the aging process is the reduction in adhesion between the egg membrane and the egg white. With age, that membrane dries somewhat reducing its grip on the egg white.
The second important thing is dropping the temperature of the cooked egg as rapidly as you can the moment they're cooked. Again, this helps to reduce the adhesion between membrane and egg white. For that reason, the lady who wrote she was going to be cooking a large batch of eggs for salad would be well served to cook them in several smaller batches to ensure that she can quickly reduce temperature. Unless you have a very large container and 10 pounds or more of ice, trying to quickly reduce the temperature of three or four dozen eggs all at once is impossible. Cheers, Larry
Re: Dents in Carpet
Dear Reena,
I thought I would offer an additional solution, less demanding than the damp cloth/hot iron one: The ordinary fork! I have wall-to-wall carpeting, best described as "carved pile". It is pretty forgiving for spills etc. but it does retain deep dents when furniture is moved. I had an inspiration one day and used an ordinary fork, putting the tines in the middle of the dent and "twiddling" gently to lift and separate the pile. It worked beautifully! If the dent is large I just move the fork all over the entire area, twiddling and teasing until the dent is no longer visible. I hope this is useful. Jeanie
Re: Blossom End Rot
Hi Reena,
To help combat Blossom End Rot (along with consistent watering); when I am planting them I throw a handful of crushed eggshells in the bottom of the hole. I save the shells all year round in a pail. Helps for zucchini too. Too many shells leftover? Mix them into your compost. Linda
Dear Reena,
I had this same problem with my tomatoes until someone told me to sprinkle Epsom salts on the soil or mix in water when watering them. Solved my problem.
Fabulous Tip of the Week:
My tip is to use inexpensive hair conditioner rather than shaving cream to shave my legs, works like a charm and one less product to have in your shower area. Submitted by: Susan
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Need a Presenter on the topic: Effective Speaking or The Power of Words? Check out: Reena.ca
