Hello friends! I’m going to blow your mind for a minute: you are burning your candles wrong. I know, I know. I had no idea there was a right way to burn a candle. But after I stumbled upon this article, I realized I’ve been burning my candles entirely wrong for years. There’s so much more to it than not burning on a sensitive/uneven surface and leaving a burning candle unattended. While incredibly simple, it made so much sense. So I’m going to share what I learned. Welcome to Candle Burning 101.
Maybe you don’t even notice. But I always think it’s a bummer when I get a new candle, begin burning it, and notice it’s starting to tunnel or developing a black ring around the top edges. Some candles are excessively expensive, and while I don’t purchase anything overly pricey, those puppies aren’t cheap! I want to get every drop out of them! And, that, my friends comes as a result of burning them correctly. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
Burn Time
Generally, your burn time should equal 1 hour of burn time per inch of container diameter. So if the candle you just bought is 3 inches in diameter, your Goldie Locks burn time will be 3 hours. This is especially important for the first burn.
Why does that matter? Well, wax has a memory. You want to burn your candle so the melted wax spreads all the way out the edges of the container. That way, the next time you burn it, the wax knows to burn outward, to the sides. Again, this especially important to do on the initial burn. Wherever it stops burning the first time, it will continue to stop there every time you burn it, causing tunneling.
Trim Your Wicks
I always have heard (from the ladies at Yankee) that I needed to trim my candle wicks. But honestly I just kind of thought they were trying to up-sell trimmers. However, after doing this consistently, I will say I can notice a difference in how my candles burn.
Trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting and don’t burn for more than 4 hours at a time. Burning for more than 4 hours will cause carbon buildup in the form of a mushroom looking thing on the top of the wick. The more carbon on the wick, the more soot and black smoke.
Not trimming the wick before lighting will cause the carbon to accumulate again, leaving a trail of black smoke and a not so cute black ring on your pretty candle jar.
Short and sweet, but something I’m actively trying to be better with. I think I need this 2-piece set to make it easier. Who knew there was a right and wrong way to burn through candles!?
Re-purpose those vessels
Most candles are packaged in containers designed to be repurposed, so don’t let those beautiful vessels go to waste! Some containers, like those made of ceramic, glass, or metal are generally food-and-drink safe while others, like concrete, are best suited for planters. You can also use cleaned jars for storage jars or general decoration.
And that’s a wrap on Candle Burning 101. I hope you learned something! To recap: make sure you are keeping your wicks trimmed to avoid carbon buildup and keep your burning safe and clean. Your initial burn should last about 3-4 hours depending on the size of the candle. Why this matters? It’s so you can avoid tunneling and get the most out of your candle. And make sure you’re upcycling those beautiful vessels.
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