After making your candles, you must be excited to burn it to see if it works. But you can't do it right away. To let your candle work properly, you’ll have to let the wax harden. 

Now your next question would be: how long it takes for the candle wax to harden? The simple answer to this question is that it depends on multiple factors. 

The truth is the external environment and your particular scenario can have a role in finding the right time for the wax to harden. 

We’ll discuss the time required considering two different but important scenarios:

Candle wax hardening in DIY candle making:

When you are making your candle, you’ll like it to harden quickly. But that does not happen. 

You'll have to wait for at least 24 hours before you can even check if your wax has settled. Ideally, a period of 2 to 3 days will be required to let the candle settle fully. 

One of the important factors determining the time for settling wax is the type of candle wax in question. Besides, the use of additives like essential oils and colors can also impact the time required for the settlement. 

Candle wax hardening when it spills:

In case you want to know about the time it will take for the candle wax to harden, if you have spilled it somewhere, this section is helpful.

In this case, it won’t take more than a few minutes to a few hours before the wax settles on the surface. Usually, it is a few drops of wax that can spill on your favorite couch, cloth or carpet. 

So the hardening of the few drops of wax is quicker than the entire container of candle wax.

Besides, in this situation, every drop of wax is in contact with the external environment, so quick settlement is obvious. 

In case you are waiting for the wax to harden before you can initiate the removal process, then it would be better if you allow 2-4 hours for the candle wax to settle.

Summing up:

As discussed, the hardening time for the wax might differ upon the situation and its type. So, to be on the safe side, you must leave your candles for 48 hours while waiting 2-4 for cleaning the spilled wax.