The Ultimate Guide to Candle Maintenance
Welcome to the essentials! Here, we cover everything you need to know about looking after your luxury scented candles.
Proper candle maintenance is easy once you know how, and it ensures you get the very best from your beautiful candles. Taking care of them from the first burn to the last flicker can prolong their lifespan, while also enhancing their scent and appearance.
Material and wick selection
Ensuring your candle burns as long as possible starts even before you light it. The materials used in the candle’s wax and wick play a huge role in its burn time, and they also impact the atmosphere in your space and even your health.
Candles made from natural waxes, like soy or beeswax, burn longer and cleaner than synthetic alternatives, such as paraffin wax. Choosing a candle with a quality wick also improves your chances of a longer burn time. Look for wicks made from natural fibres like cotton or wood, as these materials burn more cleanly and evenly without releasing harmful chemicals.
The wick should be appropriately sized for the diameter of the candle. Thicker candles usually need thicker wicks to create an even melt pool, while thinner candles benefit from smaller wicks. Some wicks are also specifically designed for certain types of wax. For example, wooden wicks are typically thicker and more rigid, which helps them burn hotter and more evenly in denser waxes like soy and beeswax, whereas cotton wicks are versatile and work well with various wax types.
Additionally, pre-waxed wicks offer great benefits. A carefully pre-waxed wick tends to burn more steadily and evenly. The wax coating also makes the wick more rigid, reducing the chance of it bending during the burn.
First Burn
Using your candle for the first time requires a few crucial steps to ensure its longevity and avoid the dreaded tunnelling! Tunnelling happens when the candle burns straight down the centre, leaving a ring of unmelted wax around the edges, which not only wastes wax but also shortens the candle's lifespan. This happens when the wax doesn’t melt evenly across the surface, forming a "tunnel" as the wick burns down. To prevent this, burn your candle until the entire top layer has melted - approximately 1-2 hours per inch of its diameter - during the first use.
If tunnelling has occurred, don’t panic - you can fix it. If the tunnelling is minor, simply relight the candle and let it burn longer - around 3-4 hours - until the entire top layer of wax melts evenly. For more severe tunnelling, try the aluminium foil method: Cover the top of the candle with a layer of foil, leaving a hole about an inch wide for the flame. Light the candle, and the foil will trap the heat, helping to melt the wax evenly.
Another method is using a hairdryer on a low setting to gently heat the top layer of wax without lighting the candle. Just be cautious not to blow hot wax everywhere.
Wick Care
Taking care of your candle’s wick is key to achieving a clean burn, yet this step is often overlooked.
Before each burn, cut the wick to about ¼ inch to minimise soot buildup and smoke. If the wick is too long, it creates a larger flame, which causes the candle to burn too hot, releasing carbon particles, (soot). This is obviously bad for your health, and also not ideal for your perfectly painted walls!
The best way to cut the wick is to use a wick trimmer. These are super helpful as they have a long handle, making it easy to reach wicks that have burned down far. They also catch the snipped wick, so you can dispose of it properly without it falling into the melted wax. Please avoid using scissors - unlike my fiance who managed to get debris everywhere and then smeared burnt wick all over the candle while trying to clean it!
Wick trimmers are widely available and we will be including our thoughts on our favourites in a future article!
A telltale sign that your wick is too long is when it forms a "mushroom" shape at the tip. This happens due to carbon buildup from the previous burn. Be sure to trim away the mushroom before relighting to ensure a clean burn and to keep soot at bay.
Maximising Fragrance Throw
One of the luxuries of a scented candle is how it fills a room with its captivating fragrance, creating an inviting and comforting atmosphere. The fragrance throw (how far the scent spreads) depends on the size of the room. In a larger or high-ceilinged space, the scent has more room to disperse, which can make the fragrance feel weaker. To counter this, consider using larger candles or placing multiple candles around the room to spread the scent more effectively. You can also combine candles with different but complementary scents to enhance the overall fragrance.
Candle Extinguishing
Resist the temptation to blow out your candles, as this can cause soot to settle on the surface and hot wax to splatter onto your furniture and walls. Instead, use a proper accessory to extinguish the flame.
Whether to use a candle snuffer or a wick dipper is a topic of discussion for many candle lovers.
A snuffer is a bell-shaped accessory that you gently place over the flame to cut off the oxygen supply, extinguishing the flame. Just be careful not to dip the snuffer into the melted wax to avoid getting it messy.
A wick dipper is a thin accessory with a hook at the end, used to gently push the candle’s wick into the melted wax to extinguish the flame without producing smoke. This method also coats the wick in wax, making it easier to relight next time. However, if the wick is coated with too much wax, it can actually make relighting more difficult and may cause uneven burning during the next use.
Storing Your Candles
When you're not using your candle, it’s best to store it in a cool, dark place. However, candles still look elegant even when they’re not lit, and it would be a shame to hide them away. To prevent fading and melting while on display, keep your candle out of direct sunlight. To avoid dust buildup and preserve the scent, consider getting a lid for your candle. There are some lovely designs available that can complement your candle - more on that in a future article!
Final thoughts
Keep candles away from drafts to ensure even burning.
Follow manufacturer's instructions but generally, burning candles for more than 4 hours at a time can cause overheating, reduced fragrance and damaged wicks.
Always let a candle cool completely before moving it to avoid disturbing the melted wax, which could lead to an uneven surface.
Consider using a candle tray or stand to protect your surfaces from heat - plus, it's the perfect excuse to treat yourself to more home accessories!
By following these simple tips, you can ensure your luxury scented candle burns beautifully and brings you hours of happiness.
If you have any questions or just want to share your candle experience, we’re here and looking forward to hearing from you! ✨