How to Use Wax Melts: A Step-by-Step Guide

We pour every wax melt ourselves, and the questions we hear most are not about scent. They are simpler: how many pieces, how long does it last, and how do you get the old wax out of the warmer. Here is what we do at home, from choosing a wax melt warmer to changing scents and cleaning the dish.

What is a wax melt?

A wax melt is scented wax without a wick. You don't light it. It sits in the dish of a wax melt warmer, heat from below melts it slowly, and the scent drifts into the room. When you switch the warmer off, the wax sets in the dish, and you can warm it again and again until the scent fades.

Our wax melts are made from Natural Wax Blend, our own blend of natural waxes. You can find them all in scented wax melts, in a few formats:

• Wax Fancy: 100 g of shaped pieces. You use one piece or more at a time, and one pack gives 60+ hours of scent.
• Wax Bar: a 50 g bar shaped like a chocolate bar. You snap off a square at a time, and one bar gives 30+ hours.
• Mix & Melt: 20 single scents, 10 small 2 g pieces per box, made for blending your own.
• Sample Pack: 10 scents, 30 g each, for when you don't know yet what you like.

If you can't decide on a scent, start with the room. A shared living room usually suits soft scents like vanilla or woods. Kitchens and bathrooms suit fresh ones like lemon or peppermint. For the bedroom most people want something light, like lavender. In the end your nose decides, and the Sample Pack is there for exactly that.

Choosing a wax melt warmer: tealight or electric

Wax melts need a warmer, and there are two main kinds: tealight warmers and electric wax warmers. We sell both and use both at home. You can see them all in wax warmers.

Classic Signature ceramic wax warmer (tealight)

The Classic Signature is our two-part ceramic warmer. One tealight goes in the base, and the dish on top holds 150 ml, which is large for a tealight warmer. The dish lifts off, so cleaning and changing scents is easy.

• Good: no electricity needed, so it can go on any flat, heat-resistant surface. The small flame gives a warm light in the evening.
• Worth knowing: it is a real flame, so keep it in sight while it burns. One tealight lasts about 3–4 hours, then you put in a new one. You can't adjust the heat.
• Refills: use unscented tealights so you only smell the wax. We have a 10-pack and a 50-piece refill pack with 4 reusable metal cups.

Electric wax warmer

Our electric wax warmer uses no candle. The heat comes from a G9 halogen bulb under the ceramic dish. You plug it in, and the bulb warms the dish evenly for as long as it's on.

• Good: no flame, and a dimmer to set the heat. Turn it up for a stronger scent, down for a softer one. No tealights to replace.
• Worth knowing: it needs a socket nearby. The dish holds 80 ml, a little less than the Classic.
• Spare parts: the bulb lasts a long time, but not forever, so a spare G9 bulb is handy. There is also a silicone wax warmer liner and a spare ceramic dish. Both are made for this electric warmer only and don't fit the Classic.

In short: if you like candlelight and want to put the warmer anywhere, take the Classic. If you want it on for long stretches without changing tealights, or children and pets pass by often, the electric warmer is easier to live with.

How to use wax melts, step by step

1. Put the warmer in the right spot: a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface, away from curtains, paper, fans blowing straight at it, and out of reach of children and pets.
2. Add wax to the dish: start with less. See how many pieces in the next section.
3. Turn on the heat: on the Classic, light a tealight and set it in the base. On the electric warmer, plug it in and turn the dimmer.
4. Let it melt: it usually takes 15–30 minutes. The scent gets stronger once the wax has melted across the dish.
5. Switch off when you're done: blow out the tealight or unplug, and let the wax set in the dish. Next time, just switch it on again. The same wax can be reused until the scent fades.

How many wax melts to use, and how long they last

There is no single right number for every room. It depends on the size of the room, the air conditioning and your nose. These are the starting points we use ourselves:

• Wax Fancy (100 g pack): 1 piece or more, depending on the size of the piece. A pack gives 60+ hours of scent.
• Wax Bar (50 g bar): snap off 1 square or more. A bar gives 30+ hours.
• Sample Pack (30 g cubes): use 1 cube at a time. One cube lasts about 18 hours.
• Mix & Melt (2 g pieces): 1 piece or more, one scent or a blend. A box gives 12+ hours.

Don't fill the dish to the brim. More wax doesn't always mean more scent. It melts slower and is easier to spill if the warmer gets bumped. When the wax melts fine but you can barely smell it, the scent is used up and it's time for fresh wax.

Mixing your own scent

Different scents can melt together in one dish, and it's our favourite way to try something new. Mix & Melt is made for this: 20 single scents in small pieces, to combine as you like. Try lavender with vanilla in the evening, or peppermint with lemon while you work. Our favourite blends are on the Mix & Melt ideas page.

Start with two scents in equal amounts, then adjust one piece at a time. If one scent drowns the other, use less of it next time.

Changing scents and cleaning your wax warmer

When the scent has faded, or you just want a different one, take the old wax out first. These are the ways we do it:

• Warm briefly and slide out: once the wax has set, switch the warmer on for 15–20 seconds so the edge loosens, then push the wax out in one piece with a paper towel. Wipe away what's left.
• Freezer: wait until the dish is completely cool, then put only the ceramic dish in the freezer for 10–30 minutes. The wax shrinks and pops out. Never put a hot dish in the freezer, and we don't suggest this for glass dishes.
• Cotton pads or paper towel: if you want to change scents while the wax is still liquid, switch off first, then drop a few cotton pads or a folded paper towel into the dish to soak up the wax, and throw them away.
• Silicone liner (electric warmer only): put a silicone liner in from the start. When the wax is cool, lift the liner out and press the wax out in one piece. Or keep a spare ceramic dish for each scent and swap dishes instead of washing.

After the wax is out, wipe the dish with a paper towel. If it still feels oily, wash it with warm water and dish soap and dry it before the next use. Don't pour liquid wax down the sink. It sets in the pipes.

Using a wax warmer safely

Melted wax is hot, and a tealight warmer has a real flame. This is what we do every time:

• Don't leave a warmer on when nobody is in the room, and don't leave it on while you sleep. Blow out the tealight or unplug when you leave.
• Use a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface, away from anything that catches fire easily and out of reach of children and pets.
• Don't move the warmer while the wax is liquid. Wait until it sets.
• Use only standard tealights in the Classic. Don't raise the tealight closer to the dish, and don't use two at once.
• Never add water to hot wax, and let the warmer cool before you clean it or change the bulb.
• If a scent doesn't sit well with you, switch off and open a window.

If you share your home with a cat or dog, we wrote about it in more detail in using wax melts around pets.

How to store wax melts

• Cool and dry: keep them away from sun and hot spots like a car or a windowsill. Thai heat is enough to soften wax and change its shape.
• Closed: keep them in their original packaging or in a sealed box or zip bag, so the scent stays in the wax until you use it.
• Labelled: if you have several scents, write the name on each, so you don't have to sniff every bag.

Common wax melt problems and fixes

• Wax not melting (Classic): check that the tealight hasn't burned out and that it's a standard size. If there's a lot of wax in the dish, take some out. Don't prop the tealight up on anything to bring it closer.
• Wax not melting (electric): turn the dimmer up. If the bulb doesn't light, unplug, let it cool, and replace the G9 bulb.
• Scent too faint: a large room or strong air conditioning carries scent away quickly. Try a smaller room, add a piece, or turn the dimmer up. If the wax has been used for a while, the scent may simply be gone.
• Scent too strong: use fewer pieces, turn the dimmer down, or move the warmer to a bigger room.
• Residue in the dish: wipe it with a paper towel while the wax is still warm, then wash with warm water and dish soap. On the electric warmer, the silicone liner helps a lot.

That's it. Pick a scent from Wax Fancy, Wax Bar or Mix & Melt, and start small. If we haven't answered your question here, send us a message.