There’s nothing quite like the comforting glow and beautiful fragrance of a lit candle. But have you ever found yourself wishing your favourite candle would just last a little bit longer? You're in luck! Proper candle care isn't just about safety; it's the secret to maximizing your candle's performance, ensuring a clean burn, and truly extending candle life.
At The Wick, we craft our natural soy candles to offer a long, beautiful burn. But with a few simple candle care tips, you can unlock their full potential and enjoy them for even more hours.
Here are our top 5 tips to help you make your candle last longer:
1. The All-Important First Burn: Let it Pool!
This is arguably the most crucial step for any new candle! When you light a candle for the very first time, it's essential to let it burn long enough for the entire top surface of the wax to melt and form an even, liquid pool all the way to the edges of the container. This is called creating a "full melt pool."
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Why it matters: If you extinguish the candle before it reaches a full melt pool, especially on the first burn, it can create "tunnelling." This means the wax will only burn down the center, leaving a ring of unused wax around the edges. Once a candle tunnels, it's very difficult to correct, and you'll end up wasting a significant portion of your candle.
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How long? As a general rule, allow your candle to burn for approximately 1 hour per inch of its diameter. So, a 3-inch wide candle would need about 3 hours for its first burn.
2. Trim Your Wick Before Every Burn
This simple act is a game-changer for how to care for candles. Before you light your candle each time (after the first burn), take a moment to trim the wick to about 1/4 inch (6mm) in length.
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Why it matters: A long or mushroomed wick can lead to a larger, uncontrolled flame, which burns through wax more quickly. It also causes excessive soot (that black smoke!), which dirties your candle jar and pollutes your air. A trimmed wick ensures a clean, steady flame and an even burn.
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How to do it: Use a wick trimmer (they're specifically designed for this and worth the small investment!), nail clippers, or even a pair of sharp scissors. Just be sure to remove any trimmings before lighting.
3. Avoid Drafty Areas
Where you place your candle can significantly impact its burn. Avoid placing your lit candles near open windows, fans, air conditioning vents, or high-traffic areas where people might walk past frequently.
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Why it matters: Drafts cause the flame to flicker and dance erratically, leading to an uneven burn, faster wax consumption, and more soot production. A calm, steady flame is key to extending candle life.
4. Don't Burn Your Candle for Too Long (or Too Short!)
There's a sweet spot for burn times. While the first burn needs to be long, subsequent burns should ideally last between 2-4 hours.
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Why it matters: Burning for too short a time can lead to tunnelling over multiple burns if a full melt pool isn't consistently achieved. Burning for too long (e.g., more than 4 hours) can cause the wick to become unstable, overheat the container, and burn through the wax too quickly. It can also diminish the candle's fragrance over time.
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The balance: Aim for a full melt pool each time you light your candle, then extinguish it.
5. Know When to Say Goodbye: The 1/2 Inch Rule
As much as we love our candles, there comes a time when it’s safest and most effective to let them go. Stop burning your candle when there is about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) of wax remaining at the bottom of the container.
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Why it matters: Burning a candle down to the very bottom can cause the container to overheat, potentially cracking the glass or damaging the surface it's sitting on. It also protects the integrity of the wick clip, which can heat up dangerously without enough wax insulation.
By following these simple candle care tips, you'll not only extend candle life but also enjoy a cleaner, more fragrant, and safer burning experience. Treat your candles from The Wick with a little love, and they'll continue to fill your home with beautiful light and aroma for many hours to come!
Ready to light up your life? Explore our collection of natural soy candles at The Wick and put these tips into practice!
