
Candles have a way to set the mood. Whether it’s a nice relaxing bath or a romantic dinner, flickering candles make the atmosphere that much more enjoyable. And while candles have a pretty innocent reputation, they aren’t exactly safe. In fact, lighting a candle can actually decrease the air quality inside your home.
One Mother’s Story
When Meghan Budden lit two scented candles, she never gave it a second thought. The young mother simply wanted to create a festive environment in her home.
She then left the house and carried on with her day: “I didn’t think anything of it, I had them burning probably six or seven hours.” The next morning, Budden noticed that she had odd black spots in her nose.
She quickly rushed over to her child. “I picked up the baby to feed him and noticed that the inside of his nostril—it was all black.”
Budden suctioned her child’s nose and attempted to clean the soot with a saline solution. Despite her best efforts, her child’s nose still has spots. Alarmed, the young mother checked the label on her candles. Sure enough, the label warned not to burn candles for more than 3 hours at a time.
She shared her experience with CBS to warn other mothers of the risks associated with burning scented candles.