Candle Care 101
1. Trim Your Wick
The first time you burn your candle, you should burn at least approx 2 hours, or until the melt pool (liquified wax on the top layer of a burning candle) nears the inside edge of the jar. Each time thereafter, burn until you’ve fully re-established the melt pool to prevent tunneling. Burn times vary according to ambient temperature and humidity.
2. Re-center Your Wick
When you first light your candle, the wick will be centered. As you enjoy your candle, however, the wick may start to travel off center in the warm wax. If your wick has moved off center, re-center it by gently holding the end and sliding it towards the middle of your jar. You may find that this is easier to do when the wax is still a bit warm after extinguishing the flame; simply use the back of a spoon to nudge it back to the center. Plus, the straighter the wick, the longer the burn time!
3. Always let your first burn last 3-4 hours (until the pooling wax reaches the edge of the glass).
The first time you light up a new candle, let it burn for a couple hours until the pool of wax reaches the edge of the glass. If you don't, you run the risk of burning straight down the center of the candle. Each time thereafter, burn until you’ve fully re-established the melt pool to prevent tunneling. Burn times vary according to ambient temperature and humidity.
4. That being said, don't burn your candle for too long either!
4-6 hours is plenty of time to fill your home with the scents you love. Any longer and your candle may get too hot and the wick may get too long. Put the flame out and let your candle solidify before trimming and lighting again.
5. Burn in a safe environment.
Place your candles on non-flammable, heat resistant surfaces and never leave a burning candle unattended. Also be aware that placing a hot candle on a cool surface like marble or glass may cause the vessel to crack.
6. Once there's less than 1/4" of wax left in the glass, it's time to let go.
Industry standard safety measures suggest not burning any candle all the way to the bottom of the vessel. We know, it's hard to come to terms with losing your favorite scent, but consider it an opportunity to give something new a try.Your candle is now beautifully lit and giving off a wonderfully fragrant scent - go you! Here are just a few more tips to ensure it stays that way for many hours to come:
- A draft is your candle’s worst enemy. Keep your candle away from ceiling fans, high traffic areas, and vents. Aside from being a safety issue, a moving flame can also cause uneven burning and black soot around the jar.
- Never leave a candle unattended and keep out of reach of children and pets
- Extinguish a candle if it repeatedly smokes, flickers, or the flame is too high
- Burn your candle between one and four hours at a time for best results
- The smaller the candle, the less fragrant it may be. If you aren’t getting a strong enough smell, try burning a few complementary smaller candles side-by-side, or place your candle in a smaller room.