How to Get the Most Out of Your Candle

Tips, tricks, and instructions for burning pillar candles

The First Burn

Each one of our candles comes ready to light out of the packaging. We hand trim our wicks to ensure that your first burn goes as well as possible. The first burn is the most step in guaranteeing your candle burns well all the way down.

Remove your candle from the tube and place on a level, fire safe holder. The holder you choose will affect the way your candle burns, but our candle will burn well in hurricane or plate style holders.

Light the candle and allow the wax pool to begin to form. It is very important to give the candle enough time to form a full wax pool before extinguishing. We have found this is achieved within 2-3 hours of burn time. A full wax pool reaches within 1/4" of the outside of the candle. Once this has been achieved, extinguish your candle and allow to harden before lighting again.

The first burn gives your candle "memory" on how it will burn in the future. Too small and you could have a candle that tunnels; too large and your candle may overflow.

General Rules

After your first burn, there are a few general rules to follow to get the most out of your candle. Please follow all safety guidelines at all times! Never leave unattended, keep out of reach of children and pets, and always ensure it is lit in a fire safe, heat resistant holder free from any surrounding flammable objects.

  • Burn for a maximum of 4 hours at a time. If you are using a hurricane style holder, this prevents the wax pool from getting deep enough that your wicks become off center. If you are using a plate holder, this prevents your candle from overflowing. Please note, this is a maximum. If your candle has been burning for less than 4 hours and appears to be risking overflow, please extinguish the candle or trim the wicks.
  • Keep your wicks trimmed to 1/4". Outside of measuring the wick every time, a good way to tell if your wick needs to be trimmed is to light the candle and observe the flame. It should be within 1-2" tall and relatively still. Excessive flickering and movement or black soot and smoke indicate a wick that needs to be trimmed. Err on the long side and trim until you see the flame appearing as described above. If your wick has a round or mushroom-like top, please trim that off before lighting. If you burn your candles for a long duration, you will likely need to trim the wick while it is lit.
  • Keep your wax pool and candle free from any debris. Please keep all wick trimmings our of your candle.
  • Discontinue use at 1/4" of wax remaining. It is safe to use the remaining wax in a wax tart warmer and remove any remaining wick.

Holder Choice

The type of holder you choose is up to your preference and habits.

An open plate style holder works well for people who are attentive and enjoy a lighter fragrance or switching out their candles often. You don't get the guarantee of a safe enclosed burn, but switching out your candle is simple. Many decorative holders have this style.

An enclosed hurricane or vase style holder works well for those who like a stronger fragrance and the guarantee of a mess-free burning experience. Enclosed holders will make your candle burn hotter (more fragrance) and may have less total burn time overall. When this style, your wax pool will adhere to the inside of the holder and make it difficult to swap out candles. If you love to burn your candles all the way through before switching to a new scent, this would work for you!

Wick Tricks

Wicks can be adjusted more than you think to achieve better results. Make sure your wicks are as upright as possible, not curled over. Use the point of scissors or another flame proof object to push your wicks to adjust their position slightly.

If you notice one side of your candle is burning more than the other, push your wicks slightly towards the side that needs more heat. Leaning the wick will burn the candle more evenly.

Had to extinguish your candle too early and your wax pool is too small? For the next burn leave your wick slightly longer than 1/4" until your pool reaches the optimal size.

Tunneling

This is the most unfortunate result of a poorly burning candle. If you repeatedly burn your candle for a short duration or cut your wicks far too short, you may end up with a candle that tunnels. This means the outer wall of the candle is not melted by the wick, and the wick will slowly drown each time you light it. This is almost always a death sentence for the candle. If caught early enough, you can leave your wicks long, and remove as much of the outer candle wall as possible to try and protect the wick.

If you notice this too late, the only option is to break apart the candle and salvage the candle wax and use the remnants in a wax warmer.

Following the rules and guidelines listed above should prevent this result.

Need Help?

Didn't find the answer to your question? Have a candle you are worried about and want to get advice on how to fix it? Please reach out, send us a picture, or ask a question so we can help!

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