Ancil
Candles have a unique way of setting the mood, elevating decor, and filling a home with captivating scents. Whether you’re a candle collector or just love adding them to your space for that cozy vibe, burning your candles correctly can make a difference in your experience.
Proper candle care ensures they last longer, burn safely, and enhance your home’s ambience without waste. Master the secrets to burning your candles correctly so that you get the most out of them.
Trim the Wick
One of the simplest yet most crucial practices for burning candles correctly is keeping the wick trimmed to about 1/4 inch. Long wicks create larger flames that can cause uneven burning, produce unnecessary soot, and leave black marks on your candle jar.
Keeping it at the right length extends the life of your candle and ensures a clean, steady flame. Investing in a wick trimmer makes this step easy and guarantees your candle burns beautifully every time.
Allow for a Full Pool of Wax
The first burn is the most important. To avoid the dreaded candle tunneling, allow your candle to burn long enough for the melted wax pool to reach the edges of the container. This creates an even burn, maximizes the candle’s lifespan, and prevents wasted wax along the sides of the jar.
It’s best to leave your candle burning for at least a few hours the first time you light it. Patience here pays off and will leave you with a well-performing candle every time.
Avoid Drafts and Moving Candles
Drafts are the silent destroyers of a candle’s steady flame. Keep your candles in a draft-free environment to ensure consistent burning and prevent uneven wax melting. Avoid placing candles near open windows, fans, or air vents.
Additionally, avoid moving lit candles excessively. This can shift the melted wax unevenly and lead to spills and shorten the candle’s life. A stable, safe spot is always the best choice while the candle burns.
Know When To Blow Out the Candle
Candle care also involves knowing when to stop burning it. Extinguish your candle before the wax reaches the last inch at the bottom of the jar to avoid overheating or cracking the container.
For the best experience, use a snuffer or a lid rather than blowing it out. This prevents the smoky after-scent and maintains the fragrance’s integrity so that the next burn is just as enjoyable as the first.
Store Your Candles Correctly
How you store your candles matters just as much as how you burn them. Keep your candles in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, which can distort their shape and fade vibrant colors.
Proper storage ensures they maintain their quality and make an impact when used as gifts. Gifting the perfect candle becomes even more meaningful when it looks—and smells—as great as the day you bought it. Many people forget that warmth, sunlight, and improper storage can essentially melt or distort the candle—we’ve all been there.
With these secrets in mind, you can burn your candles correctly and do awa with a frustrating olfactory experience. You spend good money just for it to melt away, so it’s important to at least get the process right. Plus, these techniques will help you bring your home vision to life on a budget, ensuring beauty doesn’t come at a high cost.
