Candle care
A few minutes of care on the first burn gives you an even candle all the way to the bottom.
Every candle
Four habits for an even burn
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Let the first burn reach the edges
Burn it until the melted wax reaches the sides of the jar or tin. That is usually two to three hours for an 8 oz jar and a little longer for the 16 oz. Stopping sooner sets a "memory" ring, and the candle tunnels down the middle from then on.
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Trim the wick to 1/4 inch
Before every light, once the wax is cool. A long wick makes a tall, smoky flame and soot on the glass.
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Burn up to four hours at a time
After four hours the wick can mushroom and the jar gets hot. Blow it out, let it set, and light it again another time.
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Stop with 1/2 inch of wax left
The bottom of the jar gets hot once the wax is low, so that is the time to retire it.
Questions
When something is not quite right
My candle is tunneling. Can I fix it?
Usually, yes. Wrap a collar of kitchen foil around the top of the jar, leaving an opening over the flame, and burn it for an hour or two. The foil reflects the heat back onto the wax at the edges until the surface melts level again.
Why is the flame flickering or smoking?
Almost always a long wick or a draft. Blow it out, let it cool, trim the wick to 1/4 inch and move the candle away from open windows, fans and air vents.
I can barely smell it. What should I try?
Soy candles fill a room once a full melt pool has formed, so give it an hour. In a big, open room the 16 oz jar does better than the 8 oz. And if you have been in the room with it for a while, step out and come back in: noses get used to a scent quickly.
How do I reuse the jar or tin?
Put the empty jar in the freezer for a few hours, then pop the leftover wax out with a butter knife. Wash it in warm soapy water and it is ready for pens, cotton balls or a small plant.
How do I use a reed diffuser?
Take off the cap, put the reeds in and turn them over after an hour so both ends are wet. Turn them again every week or so when the scent fades. Keep the bottle off polished wood and out of direct sun, and wipe up any drips straight away.
How do I use wax melts?
Break off one or two cubes and put them in the dish of a wax warmer, either electric or a tea light burner. When the scent fades, let the wax cool, pop it out and add fresh cubes. Never add water, and never leave a tea light warmer burning in an empty room.
Safety, in plain words
- Never leave a burning candle or a lit wax warmer in a room with no one in it.
- Keep candles out of reach of children and pets, and away from curtains, shelves above and anything that can catch.
- Burn on a flat, heat-safe surface, at least three inches from other candles.
- Do not move a candle while the wax is melted.
- Put it out with a snuffer or a gentle breath, never with water.