FAQs

What’s the best way to care for my candle?

We strongly recommend burning your Portlandia candle for three hours on the first burn, or approximately one hour for each inch of diameter. Ideally, you want the melt pool to reach the edges of the glass to prevent tunneling, which is where the candle burns down the center like water going down the drain. Tunneling is usually caused by burn times that are too short in duration. Luckily, soy wax has a good sense of “memory,” so your candle will have more usage flexibility after the first long burn. When extinguishing the flame, simply blow it out with a little puff of breath. Try not to splatter the hot wax, and please do not use your fingers. Sometimes, candle wicks need to be trimmed to maintain the quarter-inch burn height.

How long do your candles burn?

Our candles have a burn time of approximately 60 hours. You will enjoy a better burning experience if you always allow time for a full pool of wax to form at the top each time you light your candle. This allows for the wax to fully melt and then fully set up again as it cools. If you light the candle, then extinguish it before the top layer has fully melted, your candle might start tunneling down (not burning to the edges) and you will lose overall burn time.

How do I clean and reuse my candle jar?

Once your candle has burned down almost to the very bottom, blow out your candle and allow it to cool for a few minutes. The glass will be VERY hot so please do not touch it immediately. Also, never allow a candle to burn all the way to the bottom, as the glass can overheat and shatter.
Once the glass has cooled to the touch, place a paper towel on your counter and turn the candle glass over so it is upside down on the paper towel. This will allow the wax to drain out onto the paper towel and make cleaning easier. Our coconut and soy wax blend is all natural and most definitely can be composted.
Once the glass is fully cooled, loosen and remove the wick tab.
Use warm, soapy water to wash away any remaining wax.
Use the recycled glass jar for any normal purpose. Our containers are made of 100% recycled glass, so repurposing it again as a mug, or a planter, or an organizer, is simply good ethics. Thank you!

How long will it take my order to ship?

We ship orders every weekday, so if you place your order before 11am, we will get it out to you that same day. We generally ship via USPS so normally processing times are 2-3 business days depending on where you live. We do not, however, control the speed or efficiency of the US postal service. You will receive an email with your tracking number and we do recommend that you check that to ensure the package hasn’t gotten lost or stuck along the way.

Do we have discount codes?

Any sales that we have will be announced through our social media (FB and IG) so make sure to follow us there for possible discounts.

Why such crazy names?

Our products are meant to make you smile, plain and simple. We all enjoy laughing at life and love the brevity that silliness brings. Portlandia Candle Company has a mission to create the best smelling candles AND to make you question, “Wait…what is the name of that candle??” We promise, you will never forget our candle names.

However, If you simply can’t bear the thought of having My Wife’s Snatch sitting on your counter, simply pull off the vinyl label and just enjoy the elegant candle. Our product labels do double as stickers, so stick it where you would like to see My Wife’s Snatch.

What are your ingredients?

We use only 100% natural soy and coconut waxes made in the USA, and the finest fragrance and essential oil blends to create unique aroma profiles not found in other candle lines. Our candles are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free. Synthetic fragrances that are most commonly used in candles contain high levels of toxins and carcinogens. These toxins have been found in skin cells, breast milk and more. At Portlandia Candle Company, have chosen to only work with all-natural fragrances that do not contain any of the typical toxins. You can feel good about burning our candles.

Why a coconut and soy wax blend?

Portlandia Candle Company creates candles that everyone can enjoy AND that are not made with petroleum based ingredients. Soy wax candles have been around for several years now and have become very popular. We designed and tested our own custom blend of coconut and soy waxes, which provides both a creamy texture to our candles and yields a better hot throw than just soy can on its own. Coconut wax gives off an elevated scent throw over the long run, yet soy creates a very stable candle. Hence, our proprietary coconut and soy blend. Coconut and soy candles are non-toxic and create less soot than paraffin wax candles. We will never use petroleum based ingredients in any of our products. We think you’ll agree that burning Portlandia candles makes for a very fine experience.

Does Portlandia handcraft their own candles?

You betcha! We design and make all of our candles here in Portland, Oregon. We blend and pour our candles in small batches because we are dedicated to both quality and consistency. Our attention to detail yields results that we feel are exceptional. We spent months developing our unique aroma profiles and we are as proud to offer them to you as we are to burn them in our own homes. Each candle page offers a list of ingredients.

Are Portlandia Candles cruelty free?

Yes, always. Nothing that we purchase has ever been tested on animals and none of our products will ever be tested on animals.

Are your candles organic?

No. One of our members has worked in the personal care industry for over 20 years and loves organic ingredients when it comes to skincare. We, however, cannot justify the exorbitant cost that organic wax would incur. We use all-natural waxes and all-natural fragrances, recycled packaging, and biodegradable packing materials to promote the sustainability of Portlandia Candles.

Do your candles contain GMO’s?

Yes, unfortunately. Soy is a highly adulterated ingredient in the US and we have yet to find an actual non-GMO soy wax. There are two main soy wax manufacturers in the US, and neither of them produce a non-GMO wax. Because we created our own coconut and soy wax blend, Portlandia candles use significantly less soy, and therefore have far less GMO’s, than typical 100% soy candles.

Our stance on this, as one of our team members is highly aware of soy and GMO’s, is that you are burning this candle, not eating it or putting it on your skin. The day an affordable and sustainable non-GMO soy wax hits the market, all Portlandia candles will switch to that immediately!

How fragrant are Portlandia candles?

We find that our ten ounce candles will fill a normal sized room quite well, without being offensive or overpowering. Larger rooms will need a higher concentration of scent, so burning two candles simultaneously is recommended. Pro tip: Using a ceiling fan can help to circulate the fragrance throughout a room - especially a room with high ceilings.

Do you offer refunds or exchanges?

We absolutely want you to love our candles! If you received the wrong candle, or have a damaged candle due to shipping, please let us know within 5 days of your receipt of purchase. If a candle arrived damaged, please send us a photo along with a brief description and we will work with you to rectify the problem. However, due to the nature of our products, all sales are final.

Do you offer candles wholesale?

Please reach out to us via email with your inquiries.