I received a question under one of our wax sealing videos the other day: "why is your sealing wax melting spoon not black?" To answer this, we need to know what is the black residue first.
What is the black residue under the spoon?
When the candle burns, the hydrocarbons with which the candle is made of catch fire and form carbon dioxide and water. This is the complete combustion. When you hold a melting spoon in the flame, the burning is incomplete and therefore, the carbon particles in the fire get deposited on the spoon in the form of the black residue.
How to Avoid the Black Residue being Yielded
First of all, be sure to use a professional wax melting spoon instead of a normal spoon. The melting spoon is made of stainless steel with a wood (or other non-thermal conductive material) handle. They are easier to use and clean than tableware spoons.
To minimize the black residue yielded, we should aim for the complete combustion. As the picture below indicated, the outer flame of the fire is always the hottest part and the zone of complete combustion. Therefore, always use the outer flame to heat the spoon. Do not let the bottom of the spoon touch the fire.
Melting Spoon Holder
It will be inhuman to ask someone to hold the melting spoon motionlessly at the same horizon when you seal hundreds of envelopes. All you need is a little spoon holder. It can make sure your spoon never touches the fire, extending its service life. The melting spoon that comes with the holder is specially designed. It has a higher volume capacity than an ordinary melting spoon. It can hold more sealing wax in a scoop, suitable for stamp head of any sizes.
Electric Sealing Wax Melting Pot
Another way of avoiding the black residue, which is my secret weapon, is not using open fire at all! Just like gas stoves replaced by induction cookers, we can replace the candle fire with an electric melting pot.
You no longer heat the spoon over the candle but use it to scoop the melted wax from the pot. Without the open fire, the spoon bottom will never get black. The electric melting pot is ideal for volume projects where dozens of invitations need to be sealed.
What can I do if I still accidentally got the spoon blackened?
If money is not a problem for you, use the melting spoons as if they are disposable. You can always throw away the blackened spoon and get a new one next time.
If you live as frugally as I do, try to wipe the black residue off with tissues as soon as you spot one (but be careful, do not get yourself burned). You can remove most of them while they are still hot. If there are some stubborn stains, a small piece of Magic Erasers can take care of them.
I hope this answers your question about the melting spoon. All of the above melting equipment is available in our online shop at https://amzdeco.com along with a large selection of wax seal stamps and sealing wax. Use code SAVE5 to get 5% off your first order sitewide.
