You just purchased a new candle and you are excited to have a beautiful addition to your home that will not only relax you with it's glowy flame, but will also create a wonderful aroma within the space. If you're an aficionado of candles like we are, you want to be sure to maximize your candle to its full potential. Not only will these few quick steps help prolong your candle's lifespan, but it will also help prevent soot and smoke leaving your candle looking as beautiful as when you bought it.
1. Trim The Candle Wicks
It is important to trim your wicks before you light it, even when you light it for the first time. We recommend using a wick trimmer, but scissors can be used as well. Trim your wick to around 1/4 of an inch prior to each time you light it. This ensures that your candle will have an even burn and helps make your candle last longer. A shorter wick will stop the flame from getting too high or smoky. It also helps prevent soot from forming around the jar or having debris fall in the wax.
2. Burn Your Candle For 2-4 Hours Each Time You Light It
The sweet spot for burning a candle is between 2 and 4 hours. It typically takes about 2 hours for a solid wax pool to form in a candle, which helps it burn more evenly and extends the lifespan of the candle. If you burn it longer than 4 hours, the candle's wick can collect carbon which causes it to "mushroom." This can lead to soot forming around the jar or the flame getting too large, which can turn into safety hazard. We recommend extinguishing your candle after 4 hours and waiting at least 2 hours before re-lighting.
3. Extinguish Your Candle With A Snuffer
When you go to extinguish your candle, do so with a candle snuffer or by dipping the wick into the candle's wax. This will diminish smoke, which can interfere with the candle's fragrance. It also minimizes wax from splattering that can happen when you blow out a flame. We do advise that if you dip your flame into the wax, you need to be sure to straighten out the wick to be sure it will burn well next time you light it.