Are you the proud owner of a new candle? Awesome! We’ve been pouring candles for quite some time, and would like to share our best advice for ensuring you get the most fragrant and long-lasting burn from your candles – even if they aren’t ours.
To ensure your candle burns safely and evenly, please follow the steps below before lighting your candle, every time:
- Center your wick. When you first light your candle, the wick will be centered. As you enjoy your candle, however, the wick may start to get a little too comfortable and travel off center in the warm wax. If your wick has moved off center, recenter it by gently holding the end and sliding it towards the middle of your jar. You may find that this is easier to do when the wax is still a bit warm after extinguishing the flame; simply use the back of a spoon to nudge it back to the center.
- Trim your wick. Once you’ve re-centered your wick, it’s time to trim it! Using a wick trimmer or a pair of scissors, trim your wick to ¼ of an inch before lighting your candle, every time. This is the optimal height for ensuring an even burn that is free of soot debris. In addition, trimming your wick will help it stay centered in the candle, preventing an uneven melt and minimizing the risk of shattered glass. Heads up – ¼ inch is shorter than you think – a pencil eraser – so don’t be afraid to trim trim trim!
- Remove debris. After you’ve centered and trimmed your candle, make sure it is free of any wick trimmings, matches, and other debris. These can reignite and create a flame that is too large for the candle, posing a safety issue and potentially shattering the jar.
- Strike a match and enjoy!
Your candle is now beautifully lit and giving off a wonderfully fragrant scent – go you! Here are just a few more tips to ensure it stays that way for many hours to come:
- Burn your candle between one and four hours at a time for best results. It is very important that the first burn is at least one hour to create a burn pool the width of the jar!
- A draft is your candle’s worst enemy. Keep your candle away from ceiling fans, high traffic areas, and vents. Aside from being a safety issue, a moving flame can also cause uneven burning and black soot around the jar.
- Never leave a candle unattended and keep out of reach of children and pets
- Extinguish a candle if it repeatedly smokes, flickers, or the flame is too high
- The smaller the candle, the less fragrant it may be. If you aren’t getting a strong enough smell, try burning a few complementary smaller candles side-by-side, or place your candle in a smaller room.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the fragrant glow of your candles! And if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, or hello@thecandlelabcincy.com. Great Scent Awaits!