Candle Care | A Step-by-Step Guide

We love candles as much as you do, so we want to help you enjoy all your favorite scents for as long as possible. Luckily, we’re candle experts here, so we’ve compiled five simple tasks that you can complete to keep your candles burning happily.

Step 1. Maintain your candle wicks

The health of candle wicks directly contributes to how long your candle will burn. If your wicks are kept short and straight, they will last longer, and burn evenly, which is the key to candles living its full life.

Before you ever light your candle, take the time to trim the wicks to ¼”. Additionally, if your candle wicks begin to curl, use tweezers to gently reposition them after snuffing your candle.

Step 2. Location, Location, Location

Candles are versatile, they can go almost anywhere, but did you know that where you place your candle can affect how it burns? 

This was a shocker for me when I started researching for this blog and polling the office for our favorite candle-care facts. I am sensitive to smells, I get headaches easily, so I regularly burn candles when my windows are open to avoid this. Suddenly man of my candles going bad about half-way down made so much more sense. 

Breezes and drafts can blow your candle out prematurely (which we will go into in a moment), bring debris into the wax and even damage the wick. 

All of these things contribute to how evenly your candle will burn. 

Step 3. Burn efficiently

Did you know many candles have a recommended burn time? WoodWick Hearthwick candles, for example, suggest a minimum of 4-hours per burn. The reason for this is to avoid tunneling. If you’ve never heard of that, you’ve likely seen it before.

Tunneling is when the wax at the center of the candle gets lower than the wax on the outside of the candle. This cuts your candle’s lifespan in half. To avoid this, make sure you keep your candle burning long enough that the wax is liquified fully across the candle.

Step 4. Extinguish Safely

Most of us blow out our candles without thinking much about it - however, blowing out your candle can actually be detrimental to the wax. When we blow out candles, we run the risk of disturbing the wax or getting it on your wick. 

I know what you're thinking, 'Faye, I've literally blown out every candle I've ever owned, this nonsense.' and I hear you. For the majority of my life I have done the same. However, something I have also experienced is candles whose wicks just stop working. They won't stay lit, or they are swallowed suddenly by wax. 

Blowing out candles, particularly cheaper ones, (who hasn't impulse-bought a $3 pumpkin candle at the register?) can actually contribute to this unfortunate phenomena.

Instead, just get a candle snuffer. These tools snuff out a flame without disrupting the wax and keep your hands away from the flame and hot wax with ease. They come in a multitude of designs so you can find one that fits your style. 

Step 5. Clean-Up

When your wax is still liquid is a good time to check it for debris and ensure your wicks are standing straight. Debris and uneven wicks can make it harder for your candle to burn evenly, or sometimes at all. Why lose a brand new candle to a disfigured wick? 

While the wax is liquid, carefully use tweezers or a spoon to remove debris, and, with a different implement, straighten your wicks. Avoid touching the candle with your hands, we don't want you to get burned! 

These tricks are important, but if you are a fan of traditional Pillar candles or candlesticks, it's also important to remember to remove excess wax puddles once the candle has cooled. Hot wax can damage most surfaces, so it's important for candles without jars to have a plate or other holder between them and your furniture.

Phew! That was a lot. Well, how does it feel to be a candle expert? Why not share this blog with your friends? Or message us on social media to give us your favorite tips or tricks for keeping your candles burning. 

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your day,

- Faye