A quick and easy guide to re-using those gorgeous three wick candle jars. Once their wicks are burnt down use them as decorative candy jars, jewelry storage, secret mini remote storage, dog treat cannisters or festive holiday treat décor. The possibilities are endless!
The key ingredient in this formula is Goo Gone, which you can find at retailers everywhere, and is available for curbside pickup here. I bought the 16 oz bottle and have cleaned out 12+ jars so far and as you can see, not much is missing (below).
Not to mention, I use this for taking stickers off of just about every Rae Dunn mug or shiny surfaced piece of home décor I buy. This post isn’t even sponsored, I just love Goo Gone. It’s a life saver!
Cleaning Your Three Wick Candle Jars
Start by setting up shop in a utility sink. If you don’t have a utility sink, stainless steel is the next best option.
1. Spray Goo Gone generously on the front and bottom labels, and around the inside of the jar.
2. Add about 1/2 inch of hot water to the inside of the jar and let it sit for 20 minutes. I’ve tried this without the water and have WAY better success when the hot water helps the Goo Gone get underneath the wax.
3. Once the water has cooled, dump it out and peel the labels from the bottom and side.
4. Take a butter knife or flat head screw driver (I recommend the butter knife) and cut the wax in at least half. Cutting smaller pieces makes it easier to pop up the remaining wax.
5. What may give you trouble are the bases of the wicks. They like to stick to the glass extra hard. I believe those are actually glued down when they’re made versus the wax which is just poured in. After all of the wax is out, if the wicks aren’t budging, spray some more Goo Gone in, add a little more hot water, and let sit. Better safe than with a broken jar/glass.
6. If you were able to get the wicks and the wax out, and the labels off, congrats! You did it! My last recommendation is to run them through your next dish washer load just to really give it a full cleansing. Hand washing also works! Just put extra elbow grease into it to be sure the Goo Gone is completely gone.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I usually leave the hot watery/Goo Gone jar in my kitchen sink, coming back hours later having forgot about it and as such it’s a cinch to scoop out.
It’s an easy set-it-and-let-it-sit craft, and much easier than trying to force the wax out without any chemical help. I’ve actually broken a jar that I was leveraging the flat head screw driver against because the wax was not loosened properly. The pressure of the screw driver on the edge cracked it. Broken glass is no good, give the Goo Gone the time it needs to work. If you’re not sure if it’s loose enough, give it extra time.
Cleaning the Candle Jar Lids
Far simpler than cleaning the jar, this takes all of 30 seconds.
1. Remove the burn marks from the inside of the lid. While not necessary for re-use, think about what you’ll be putting in there. If it’s food, you will want to give this a well-deserved clean.
2. To remove the burn marks I recommend a harder bristled brush, like the one pictured below. That and a little dish soap and you are set.
3. Throw it on the top rack of your next dish washer load. Or hand wash, these aren’t as important to scrub extra hard as you won’t be applying the Goo Gone, but you still want to make sure anything that will hold food is extra clean.
Re-Using Your Three Wick Candle Jar
There’s a bunch of ways to re-use your three wick candle jars, but my favorite to date is my treat jar idea. You can make them festive for the holidays, and use for both humans and their furry friends.
What’s your favorite way to re-use big three wick candle jars? Share in the comments!
More DIY Inspiration
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