If you want to know how to burn a candle efficiently, here's a few tips and tricks to help you become a candle burning pro!
1. Keep candles away from drafts!
A calm candle is an efficient one. Even the most expensive of veg wax candles will give off soot if put in drafts way. When a candle flame gets thrown around by moving air, incomplete combustion can occur. The candle flame will change in size or flicker in the breeze, causing unburnt carbon to escape before it can completely combust, which in turn causes soot and black smoke.
2. Trim those wicks!
Trimming your candle wick will ensure an efficient burn and also minimise soot and black smoke. I recommend using Wick Trimmers to trim your candle wick to about 5-8mm before each burn. If you leave the wick to burn and never bother trimming, the wick will get too long. If the wick gets too long it won't be able to draw fuel all the way to the top, causing the dry wick to burn and give off an unwanted smoky aroma and soot.
3. The first burn is the most important!
When you first light a brand new candle, burn it for the full 4 hours or until the melt pool reaches the side of the candle container. This will prevent a candle from tunnelling. Candle tunnelling can also prevent the candle from being lit and staying lit. The smaller the enclosed space around the wick, the less oxygen can get in to fuel it.
Don't worry if there is a millimetre or two of wax around the container (known as wax hangup), as this will catch up in later burns.
4. Large space
Why can't I smell my candle? It doesn't matter how well made or expensive a candle is, a mini candle cannot scent a larger open-plan room. The further the aroma has to travel, the less intense it will be. Use the appropriately sized candle for space. Each of my large 3 wick candles contain nearly 30ml of pure essential oils, that's a lot of fragrance perfect for a large room!
5. Do not blow out your candle flame OR extinguish it with the lid!
There is a correct way to extinguish a candle. Blowing the flame out can be dangerous as the hot wax can splatter out of the container and potentially ruin your furniture or burn sensitive skin. Also, extinguishing your candle by putting the lid on will ruin the aroma of your candle. By trapping the smoke in the container you are letting the smoke penetrate the wax, and in turn, adding a smokey aroma to your lovely scented candle. Always use a Candle Snuffer, they are an amazing tool and they are made specifically for this reason.
6. Don't waste your leftover candle wax!
Should you burn your candle to the bottom?
No. For safety reasons, you should stop burning your candle when the wax gets to about 10mm deep in the base of the container. But that doesn't mean the wax has to be wasted.
Use a candle warmer! A candle warmer has a hot plate where you can place your candle to melt the remaining wax and enjoy the rest of the aroma. Check out my Ceramic Candle Warmer. An absolute must-have! Just like wax melts, the remaining wax can be re-melted a number of times, or until you notice the aroma wearing off.
So...now you're on your way to becoming a candle-burning pro, browse through my collection of hand-poured Aromatherapy candles and home fragrances, all lovingly made by hand in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside.