Do you know how to burn candles properly? Here are the rules and some tricks!

The right place

Let’s not pretend that burning candles is rocket science. It’s basically two things – burning them evenly and cleanly. A candle can do that on its own (especially if it has more than one wick); we just mess it up in various ways. For instance, just by where we put the candle. It may look good on a Christmas wreath, of course, but if the surface underneath isn’t flat, it’s going to be tricky for the wax to melt evenly. And watch out for draughts. A flickering flame may be romantic, but if you don’t want blackened glass on your candle holder (or a black wall), you’re better off without one. 

Trim and straighten

If there’s just one rule to remember, it’s this: always trim the wick. And always means before each time you light it. The flame will be cleaner and brighter, and it stops the wick from twisting into strange shapes. It also prevents the candle glass from getting smoky. So take a pair of scissors or nail clippers (but you can also get wick trimmers!) and trim – preferably to a length of 3 to 5 mm. Any burnt residue has to go, of course, and don’t forget to get the wick nice and straight. 

Not a tunnel, but a pool

Now we’re nearly ready. Nearly? Yes, you still need the right tools. Use a long match or lighter so you don’t end up tilting the candle when lighting it. Job done, it’s lit! But it’s important to keep going. Don’t blow the candle out until the top layer of wax has melted all the way to the edges and an even pool of wax has formed. Otherwise, a tunnel will start to form around the wick, which isn’t easy to get rid of. Candles remember, and next time they’ll only melt around the wick. 

Did you underestimate the situation when you first lit the candle? Take some foil and wrap it round the top of the candle. Just leave a gap in the middle above the flame and light it. This trick should make the tunnel disappear. 

No blowing, please!

Speaking of pools, it’s also important to make sure you don’t drown the wick in one. So stick to the 4 hours and enough rule. And here comes the next trick. Of course, one option is to simply blow the candle out when the time is right. But this gets bits of ash in the melted wax. So either get yourself a candle snuffer (is that another gadget you had no idea existed?) or use a lid, if the candle has one. Unless it’s made of plastic. And one more tip, always cover the candle with a lid when it is not lit to prevent dust and other dirt from getting into it. 

What about the leftover wax?

If you follow these instructions, your candle will last much longer. But even so, the time will come to say goodbye. It’s highly likely there’ll be some wax left at the bottom and that’s absolutely fine. Otherwise, the bottom of the candle could get too hot and maybe crack or damage the place where it stands.

But do you want to get rid of the leftover wax so that you can reuse or recycle the jar or candle tin? One solution is to pour hot water into the glass and wait. The wax melts, floats to the surface and solidifies again. Or you can put the jar in the freezer and just peel off the wax after a few hours. 

It looks as if you’re more than ready for candle season. Now it’s just a matter of deciding which candle to add to your collection.