HELP! Tea light scorch mark in an Air BnB!

[QuimReaper]

I'm staying in a beautiful Air BnB. Last night I lit a few candles, and this morning when tidying up I noticed one has left a black circle on the surface. Argh!

After a quick Google I've squeezed some white toothpaste on it, any other tips?

You took them with you? Do people really do this? (Well obviously, the do). We stayed at a beautiful rental property recently that had a note saying that they had no decorative candles in the property as they were a fire hazard. I thought that was very sensible. It wouldn't have occured to me in a month of Sundays that people would actually take them on holiday with them, to someone else's property.

I'm an Airbnb owner.

Firstly, we have a no candles policy. You will be in trouble for taking your own. It's hugely irresponsible.

You will be charged damages.

But just confess. It's much better that you do.

People are being very dramatic (not about the safety aspect) but ‘fess up ASAP’ - it’s not an emergency!

Of course tell the owner and be honest. You never know they might say - don’t worry I’ve been wanting to replace that anyway! They might ask you to pay. Who knows. But it’s a genuine mistake and I don’t think you need to feel this bad for it. But do be more careful safety wise!

Wow, do you own every property on Air B'n'B or are you psychic?

We have an Airbnb. Also no candle policy, because people, like Op obviously don’t know how to safely use them and I don’t want my house burnt down or people killed.

I would be really annoyed actually. We say no candles in the welcome book, and don’t provide any, so had you ignored that I probably would expect you to pay up for a new cabinet if it can’t be replaced. I assume it’s something like ikea surface which is wood and coating. So about £2-400.

People cause damaged and breakages accidentally all the time, and I really don’t mind. Even if it’s expensive. But to bring you own candles, then use so flippently on a surface without safe candle glass and protector, then that’s just wrong.

Tea lights get astonishingly hot, and can and do burn surfaces..Always use a metal or glass container.
@QuimReaper , I once stayed at someone's house with a friend , and lit a pillar candle that was in the room.
Next morning, to my utter dismay, the pale green wax from the candle had dripped off the saucer and dripped down all over a newly upholstered chair.

I was so ashamed, I didn't mention it, we just left hurriedly.

I found out later that he was justifiably upset , more so that we hadn't fessed up and apologised there and then.

Tell the owner and pay for the damage to be fixed.

Going forward, you should never use tea lights without holders, huge fire risk.

How to make a bad situation worse. 😱😆OP, please don't do this.

Some idiot burned a really nice bookcase in our little holiday with a candle, the repair was about £250 and we had the faff of getting it in and out. Just let the owner know rather than leaving it to the cleaning team/check out for it to be discovered.

Oh, and the idiot in our case was me.

Not RTFT, but this reminded me of a comment made by a Fire Brigade officer during some recent workplace training, about lit tealights on unprotected surfaces being a major cause of house fires.
OP is so lucky that the only damage is a scorch mark.

TELL the owner right away (the cleaner is going to notice and log the damage anyway so you can't deny it). They are likely to charge you for damage repair.

I caught a BB guest cooking on a camping gas stove in their bedroom, on the oak windowsill right next to the curtains.

You’d think nobody on Mumsnet has ever made a mistake.

I don’t know if it would work but you could see if you can get hold of one of those magic sponges? Or lightly rub with something slightly abrasive like Cif. Obviously not enough to damage the surface.

if not your only option is to fess up. Better to tell them rather than hope they don’t notice.

Simon thanks for making me laugh I do feel a prize idiot!

@oakleaffy Have you ever read Lucky Jim? There's a really funny scene in it where he burns a hole in a bedspread with his cigarette and panics and uses scissors to neaten up the burn hole. I kept thinking about it this morning when I was pacing around in a tizzy. Flames do seem to lead to the worst mistakes - lesson learned in both our cases!

@iklboo I hope not. LED lights are cheap to run, probably cheaper then candles & a LOT safer, how many house fires were going to have worries me.

ciggy ash and olive oil

it works I’ve used it myself

No one is 'competent' enough to repair those kind of surfaces, they're not painted wood,

@QuimReaper

pleased to hear it! People do suggest the stupidest & most impractical things!!

you need to email/message her, waiting isn't going to make it any better & you're just getting yourself more wound up.

To make you laugh OP , I once tried to repair a cigarette burn in my parents yellow carpet . I carefully cut out the black wool, and then glued pieces of yellow wool rim a Pom Pom wool Easter chick and stuck the pieces in the hole.

boy did my mum shout the first time she hoovered!

Be grateful you didn't die in a house fire and pay for the damage.

I had tenants who lit tea lights, left them on top of a tv and burned the place down.

Don't do this. Stupid advice

It sounds like the surface might be plastic. You can't sand and paint that and think you can get away with it. Even if it's painted wood you need to know the colour. It could be one of a million Farrow and Ball whites.

Have you tried bleach? I don't really understand why they'd have tealights hanging about without being in a holder, they will always leave scorch marks (unless you bought the tealights 😬)

@hellcatspangle OP bought the tea lights. I wouldn’t try bleach, surely that could ruin the surface too.

@QuimReaper have you heard back from the owner?