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Used oil is one of the waste that we must manage correctly if we want to prevent it from ending up contaminating the environment. Fortunately, the oils used in the kitchen have many more uses than we can think of at first. In general, it is very common to use them in the production of natural soaps. However, another option is to turn them into candles, which is achieved by mixing the used oil and some specific ingredients. If you want to know how to make candles with used oil keep reading Green Ecologist and we'll tell you about it.
Ingredients for making candles with used oil
The ingredients to make candles with recycled oil they are easy to get. It must be borne in mind that, depending on the formulation we use, we can find different versions in the preparation of homemade candles. In this case, we will use soy wax low-melting, which is probably the most difficult ingredient to obtain on this list, although it is easily available in specialty stores or on the Internet. In this way, ingredients you need to make homemade candles with used oil are:
- 400 grams of recycled oil (usually cooking oil).
- 85 grams of low melting soy wax.
- 50 centimeters of wick for candles.
- 20 drops of aromatic essential oil (choose the scent you like best).
- 4 containers to place the candles (glass containers of yogurt are usually reused).
Keep in mind that these ingredients are designed for an approximate ratio of four candles to the size of a traditional glass yogurt container. In the case of wanting to make a larger quantity, the quantities must be multiplied, which will result in quantities of multiples of four.
How to make candles with recycled oil
Once we have all the ingredients that we are going to need, the first thing to bear in mind is that the remains of food or other residues present in the oil must be filtered. To do this, we will filter the oil with a strainer, which should be as fine as possible. Once we have clean oil, we can start working with it. So, these are the steps to make homemade candles with used oil:
- Clean the oil.
- Cut the wicks to have each one that you are going to place in the different containers. It is recommended to be generous with the wick. That is, it would be better to have a couple of centimeters left. This will allow us to be sure that the wick does not fall short.
- Heat the soy wax in the microwave or in a double boiler until it dissolves.
- At this point, insert the wicks into the wax so that they are completely bathed in and let them dry stretched out on a non-porous surface (such as aluminum foil).
- Once they have cooled, remove them and you will have stiff locks that will be much easier to work with.
- To continue making the used oil candles, when the soy wax is still liquid, add it to the recycled oil in a large container that allows easy mixing.
- It also includes the drops of essential oil that will be the ones that will provide the smell of the candle.
- When you put the oil and wax together, check that it will harden fairly quickly, so if necessary, put the container back in the microwave or in a water bath to liquefy it.
- With the mixture complete and liquid, pour it into each of the containers that you will use to make the final candle and, before it hardens, insert the wicks that you had prepared previously.
- To hold the wicks in the center of the candle, you can use pencils or pens or even two long toothpicks are a fairly effective way to keep them firm and centered.
- Finally, let it cool to room temperature and you will have completed the preparation of your homemade recycled oil candles.
Why it is important not to pour used oil down the sink
Is homemade candle recipe with recycled oil is one of the most creative ways to reuse used oil in the kitchen that is not burned. Other options are to make it into homemade soaps or even creams. Here you can learn more about What to do with used cooking oil and How to make homemade soap with used oil.
However, it is very important that the oil is never flushed down the drain from the sink. Oils, of whatever type, are water and soil pollutants. This is because, weighing less than water, they are deposited in the upper part of rivers and water reserves. This means that the water cannot be properly oxygenated and, consequently, leads to the death of the flora and fauna of these ecosystems.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to make candles with used oil, we recommend that you enter our category of ecological products.
