Caring for your candle

Addicted to buying candles but want to take proper care of them? Taking care of your candle and using the best candle practices can help make them last longer, look better and smell stronger. We’ve got the best tips for caring for your candle the right way.

Always trim the wick

Trimming the wick is an overlooked yet very important step in caring for your candle. If the wick is too long it can cause the candle to burn extremely hot and very quickly, meaning that your candle will not last as long. To avoid this, trim the wick to 1/4” or 5mm before you light the candle. This ensures that only the right amount of fuel is burned when lit, resulting in longer burn time and better control of the flame.

Beeswax pillars are great candle choices for a longer burn time and a beautifully bright flame, but remember to trim the wick for best results. You can easily trim the wick using a specialist wick trimer, scissors or nail clippers.

Burn your Beeswax candle for at least 3 hours

Unfortunately, burning your candle for short amounts of time isn’t too good for the burn time or the look of your candle. A short burning time causes tunneling, where a crater is left in the centre of your candle. This is because only the centre wax is burned and residual wax is left on the sides of candle.

Tunneling isn’t a great look and can make it difficult for your candle to burn. With tunneling, the flame cannot get enough air to burn and can be drowned by wax melting above the wick. This means that excess wax can be wasted, and that you won’t get the most use out of your candle.

To combat this problem, you should burn your candle for at least 3 hours. This will allow the wax to melt all the way to the edges and leave a flat surface once it cools. If you’re already experiencing tunneling, remove some of the residual wax on the edges in order for the candle to melt whole again.

Keep your candle away from drafts

If your candle is in a drafty area, it can be bad both for your health and the burn time of your candle. You can identify if your candle is in a draft if there is a lot of smoke rising and the flame dances around, burning inconsistently.

The smoke emitted from burning man-made candles near a drafty window can ruin the ambience intended from lighting the candle in the first place. Alongside this, the smoke can also be harmful to your health. Natural beeswax candles, on the other hand, are smoke free and can be a great alternative if you are concerned about the health implications of paraffin candles.

The fuel of a flickering flame can also clog the wick, causing the flame to become smaller, as it cannot burn as much fuel as it is taking in. Therefore, you should move your candle away from fans, open windows and doors, as well as vents or air conditioning, to ensure that your candle burns more consistently and cleanly.

Extinguish your candle properly

One of the best ways to extinguish your candle is the immersion method. This requires either a tool or the use of scissors to safely push the lit wick into the melted wax surrounding it. This prevents smoke being emitted and ruining the beautiful scent that the candle has created in your room.

Reposition the wick

Occasionally the wick can move when lots of the candle wax has been melted. When the wick is close to the sides of the glass or candle holder, it can smoke and leave soot residue. Repositioning the wick while the wax is still in liquid form is important to avoid this and ensure that your candle burns evenly from the centre. Be careful, and use a tool to avoid burning yourself on the hot wax.

Conclusion

Taking good care of your candle is very important to get the best out of your purchase. Ensuring you light the candle for at least 3 hours and trim the wick before using will give the best results from burning your candle. You may also need to reposition the wick and should move it away from drafts to avoid smoke and soot residue. Extinguishing your candle in the correct way is especially important to avoid smoke, and a lingering burning scent.

Using these tips you’ll have the best experience and get the most out of your beeswax candles!