How to Properly Care for Your Candle

+JMJ

We've all been there at least a few times... we finally invest in a delicious smelling candle, one made with pure ingredients, hand-poured with a scent curated to draw in your senses. All seems to be going well, when you blow out your candle and see the dreaded tunnel... a burned out tunnel of wax in the middle and too much wax remaining on the sides. You know most of your candle will now be wasted, as you have no idea how to recover that wax on the sides. You're frustrated. 

So how can we avoid the dreaded tunnel? How do we not waste 1/2 our cande? 

Here are some tips gathered from some candle-making experts for how to get the absolute most out of your candle:

- Avoid short burns - you want to create a melt pool (where the whole top of the candle melts), this will prevent something called 'tunneling', where the edges remain unmelted but the center melts inwards. See above image for a visual of a great melt pool.

- Avoid long burns - Do not burn our 8oz (or larger) candles for more than 4 hours at a time and our 2oz candles for more than 2 hours at a time.

- Don’t touch the wax while it is melted - it's hot and can damage the even burn of the candle

- Keep the wax pool free of debris and wick trimmings for a clean, safe burn

- Place on a non-flammable surface with space around and above it

- Watch the flame height - make sure it’s not too tall or out of control.

- Keep the wooden wick trimmed to 1/8" - 1/4" (You can use a wooden wick trimmer, or even nail clippers to trim it.)

Uh-Oh! How do I fix a tunnel effect?

1. Either melt the edge tunneling with a lighter or heat gun if you have one, or you can use a butter knife and gently scrape the tunneling off the edges and into the middle. This is easiest done while the wax on the sides is still hot and pliable. It won’t look pretty at first but don't worry, it will melt again! ;)  

2. Next, take a pair of needle-nose pliers (really any pliers will work) or your fingers if they are strong and gently wiggle the wick slightly from side to side to loosen it from the wax (width-wise).

3. Now you can gently pull the wick up almost like you are pulling it right out of the candle but you are only going to pull it up just enough to be at the right height so when you light it the flame can melt the wax you removed from the sides. 

(You might need to adjust the wick height again after you get that burn pool going again but you will have saved the candle from continuing to tunnel!)

My candle is flickering too much and smoking... what should I do? 

First, try trimming the wick to 1/8" - 1/4". If there is a lot of smoke, make sure the candle is in a place with a little less ventilation to remove any drafts.

How do I trim my wooden wick down?

You can purchase a specialty wick trimmer on Amazon or a different retailer, or you can cheat and just use a pair of strong nail clippers! Easy, peasy! 

We hope these tips help you enjoy your candles from The Inspired Living for months to come! Don't forget they make wonderful gifts for Confirmation, new parents for Baptism or even as an Ordination gift for a Priest! (That Chrism smell is oh-so-sacred!) They are also a must-hand addition to your personal prayer space, as engaging all your senses while praying can really aid in mindfulness and deepen your prayer time.

Enjoy!

Pax, Cristina