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Candles always seem like a simple thing. You light them, smell them, and then blow them out right? Well, no actually. To get the most out of your candle there are some simple rules that need to be followed.
Wick Trimming
Something that is often unknown to candle owners is that after every burn you’re supposed to trim your wick. This can be done with scissors, nail trimmers or if you want to be fancy you could use a metal candle wick trimmer (these can be found online). When you buy your candle, it should already be trimmed for you. After you’ve burnt your candle, it is important to wait until the candle is cool and the wax is solid before you trim the wick. I would recommend cutting the wick just before every burn to help you remember. The wick should be trimmed to about 6 mm above the wax (this is roughly the width of a standard pencil). All this will prevent your candle from smoking, keep your candles flame at a safe height and help prevent loud crackling or banging in the candle flame.
How long should I melt my candle?
It’s important to keep your candle lit until the whole top layer has melted. This can sometimes take 1-2 hours but if you don’t your candle will begin to tunnel. Tunneling is when the candle wax in the centre, around the wick, melts to the bottom of the candle but the wax around the edge remains. This means you won’t get as much burn time from your candle. Just think of all the lovely, scented wax being wasted! This does mean that you need to plan your candle lighting carefully to ensure you have time to wait for the melt pool to reach the edges.
If your candle is already tunneling there are things you can do to fix it. By using some tin foil, you can gently and carefully wrap the foil around the sides of the candle, leaving a gap at the top. Light your candle and leave for around 1-2 hours, checking regularly. When the candle surface is full melted, all the way to the edges, you’re done. For more information on this here is a great video about this technique… How To Fix a Candle After It Tunnels - YouTube .
As for the maximum time you should burn for, this does depend on the candle. Our candles maximum is 4 hours, which is pretty standard for most candles. Some bigger candles could be up to 6 hours. However, I would say if you’re unsure just stick to the 4-hour rule.
Also try to keep your candle away from any drafts as this can cause an uneven burn. This could be an open window, a fan, air conditioning and so on.
Should you blow out your candle?
As a kid, blowing out my mum's candles (under supervision) was one of my favourite things to do, which is why I was so surprised to find out that you’re not supposed to! Blowing out your candle can cause soot from your wick to land in your melted candle wax and make your candle look dirty. The best ways to diffuse a candle are:
Put the lid back on. This will stop oxygen getting to the flame which will extinguish the flame after a few seconds (please be careful with our metal lids as they may get hot!)
Use a long, non-flammable object to push the wick into the melted wax until the flame is out. Make sure to pull the wick back up to its originally position ready for next time though!
Use a candle snuffer. This would require purchasing a candle snuffer if you don’t already have one, but in my opinion, it is the most satisfying way. Just as good as blowing the candle out and doesn’t mean you need to put your face or hair near the candle so even better!
Relighting your candle
When you are about to relight your candle, make sure that it is completely cool, you have trimmed your wick and you are following candle safety rules (such as ensure the candle is placed in a safe place). There is more information about candle safety in the next section.
Candle safety
Now let’s talk about safety. You will notice on your candle there are a few pictures on the label. These are the safety warnings and all candles sold in the UK are required to have these or at least some kind of safety warning. But in case you don’t have a candle on you I’ve written out the basic safety rules of candle keeping…
1: Never leave your candle by curtains, house plants, or any other flammable material. Make sure you are putting the candle on a non-flammable, flat surface, that isn’t going to easily melt. Never move the candle once it has been lit. Metal surfaces may get hot so be careful!
2: Always keep an eye on your candle. This means that if the candle is lit you should be in the room with it, regularly looking at it from across the room while you cosy up with a blanket and the newest Netflix documentary. Hitting those lockdown feels right?
3: A very obvious one but… DO NOT LEAVE THE CANDLE WITH PETS OR CHILDREN! If the candle is lit and there are kiddies, pooches, puddy cats or any kind of animals around don’t let them get anywhere near the candle.
4: Candle need to socially distance so if you are burning more than one candle at a time make sure they are kept at least 5cm from each other.
5: Just because our candles are natural does not mean they would make good massage candles. Massage candles are designed specifically to be poured on the skin, whereas most candles are not. Therefore, please DO NOT POUR HOT CANDLE WAX ON YOUR SKIN. This can cause skin irritation. If you do get some hot wax on your skin wash it off with some water. If you are concerned about any burns, please seek medical help.
Well, that’s all folks. I hope this helps you be a better candle owner. Your candles will thank us for it. And don't forget to check our natural, eco soy wax candle range at:
As always, any questions that you have please feel free to contact us through the website or email me personally at emmaw@kentishsoap.com.
We would just like to thank all the key workers for all their amazing hard work through this difficult time. Keep safe everybody. We’ll make it through together.