Candle Care 101: How To Care For Your Candles And Avoid Tunneling

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Candle Care 101: How to Care For Your Candles

A candle's soft glow and flicker creates a uniquely cozy ambience, however if you're new to candles or just want to extend your candle's life as long as possible, there are some tips on keeping your candle lit and avoiding candle tunneling, two of the most common issues with candles.

Here are our tips ton how to fix candle tunneling and keep happily lit!

 

1. Get a good start with your first burn

Burn the candle long enough to melt the wax all the way to the edges of the vessel on the first use — depending on the size this can take an hour to 3-4 hours.

This is to prevent the wax from creating a tunnel and burning downwards rather than out to the sides and will prolong the life of your candle. 

After the first use, making sure the wax melts to the edges is less critical, however if you want to optimize and lengthen the life of your candles, it's still a good idea.

2. Trim your candle wick short and removed any charred parts

Keep the candle wick trimmed to about ⅛” and clear away any charred bits before you light the candle again. While our cotton wicks should be self-trimming, it's still a good idea to monitor their length every few burns. 

For our wooden wicks, you'll have to keep a closer eye on their length. Wire cutters or nail scissors are a great way to trim them.

If your candle wick won’t stay lit or the flame is getting very low, it’s mostly likely because the wick is too long or needs to be trimmed clean of charred material.

While it might seem counterintuitive to trim the candle wick to have the candle burn better, remember it’s the wax that's fueling the flame, not the wick itself. The flame is constantly drawing the wax upwards through the wick, so if the candle wick is not trimmed short and clean, the wax can’t make it to the flame and the flame diminishes.

3. Fix a Candle That Won't Stay Lit:

If your candle won't stay lit often it's because the flame is drowning in its own wax pool. After unsuccessfully lighting it, use a paper napkin to remove some of the excess wax pooling around the wick, wait for a minute and relight your candle. 

Usually once does the trick, however if the candle tunneling is severe, repeat this process until your candle wick has enough room to stay lit, then let it burn until the entire surface of the candle has melted to reset the wax's memory.

Read More on Keeping Your Candle Lit

 

4. How to Fix a Candle Tunneling

Drat, is your candle tunnelling despite all your best efforts? If your candle is feeling the effect of a series of short burns, you still can recover it!

If your candle wick will stay lit, let it have a nice long burn until all the wax is melted to the edge of the jar. This should reset the memory of the wax and avoid future candle tunneling.

Note: Depending on the severity, your flame might vary — but as long as it's burning, it's working. Just be patience, read a good book and let the wax continue to melt. 

Read More About Candle Tunneling

 

Good candle maintenance prolongs the life and enjoyment of your candles —with a little care, your candles should give you hours of pure coziness.

 

You Might Also Like:

How to Get Candle Wax Out of the Jar Safely

How to Light a Candle Without a Lighter

What to do with a Short Candle Wick

How to Reuse Old Candle Jars

The Benefits of Burning Candles

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