Candle Burning Tips

Tips for Better Burning Candles

You will most likely have one or even many types of candles in your home. Research undertaken by candle producers show that at least 7 / 10 private households use candles and more than 90% of these candles are purchased by women.

Follow these better burning tips to get the most out of your candles:

1. Trim the wick as often as possible

One of the best things that you can do for your candles is to keep the wick trimmed to a ¼ of an inch. Wicks that are allowed to get larger than a ¼ of an inch tend to burn faster and produce smoke. If you are noticing black soot (dirt) accumulating on your container candles, the wick is too long.

2. Avoid drafts and locations subject to breezes

Burning candles in breezy areas can cause uneven burning and excessive smoking. Not to mention that your candle will burn faster. If you notice the flame of the candle flickering in any direction other than straight up, there is a draft. Prevent drafts by keeping burning candles away from heating and air-conditioning vents as well as open windows.

3. Refrigerate the candles

Did you know that cold candles burn slower. To cool your candle, first wrap it in aluminium foil or cling wrap to prevent the wick from absorbing any moisture. Place the candle in the fridge for about an hour before lighting. Make sure you don’t put them in the freezer instead as they will become brittle and break!

4. Burn candles for longer periods

Especially, for pillar candles, make sure you burn them for at least one hour for every inch in diameter. Skip this step and you’ll end up burning a tunnel through your candle!

5. Always extinguish the flame

A candle snuffer works best to blow out the candle. If you don’t have a candle snuffer readily available, you can blow out the candle by placing an index finger in front of the flame and blowing gently. This causes the air to surround the flame and minimizes splattering of hot wax from the wax pool.

6. Always put safety first

Always try and keep all lit candles out of the reach of children and pets. Never leave a burning candle unattended. And always burn candles in a well-ventilated room.

Tip:  If wax has spilled on the carpet for any reason, the best way to remove it is with paper and an iron. Place a paper towel or brown grocery bag over the spot. Place the heated iron over the paper towel. The heat from the iron will cause the wax to melt and be absorbed into the paper towel.

Follow these candle burning tips to ensure hours of lovely scents and burning candles in your home.

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