Candle Care

The Strictly Scented Guide to Candle Care

Here, we will explore some methods to maximize the benefits of your candles.

Tunnelling

A soy wax candle can tunnel, which means it burns down the center, leaving a tunnel-like cavity, rather than burning evenly across the entire surface of the candle. This happens for several reasons:

  • Initial Burn: When you first light a soy wax candle, it has a “memory” of sorts. If you don’t allow the entire surface to melt into a pool of liquid wax during the initial burn, it will remember this and tend to only melt the wax in the center during subsequent burns.
  • Wax Memory: Soy wax, like other types of candle wax, has a memory effect. If you extinguish the candle before the melted wax pool extends to the edges of the container during the first burn, it will often “remember” this and only melt as far as it did the first time during subsequent burns. This is because the wax near the container edges remains solidified.
  • Cooling and Hardening: Soy wax, like most waxes, tends to harden as it cools. If the wax near the edges of the candle remains solid during the initial burn, it becomes harder than the center wax, which has been melted. As a result, the center wax will continue to melt more easily during subsequent burns because it’s softer, while the outer wax remains harder and unmelted.

To prevent tunneling in soy wax candles, it’s important to follow these tips:

  • First Burn: Allow the candle to burn long enough during its first use to create a wide and even pool of melted wax reaching the edges of the container. This may take a couple of hours, depending on the size of the candle.
  • Trim the Wick: Keep the candle’s wick trimmed to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) before each use to prevent excessively large flames, which can contribute to uneven burning.
  • Burn Time: Don’t burn the candle for too short a period. Soy candles should ideally burn for at least an hour or more to ensure an even melt pool. You should also avoid burning soy candles for more than 4 hours at a time to prevent overheating and potential hazards.

By following these guidelines, you can help ensure that your soy wax candle burns evenly and avoids the tunneling effect.

During Use

Some of the following tips may seem obvious but are still worth mentioning.

  • Always supervise burning candles and ensure they are extinguished before leaving the room or going to sleep
  • Refrain from burning candles until they are completely depleted. For safety, cease burning when approximately ¼ inch of wax remains in the vessel
  • When burning multiple candles simultaneously, maintain a distance of at least three inches between each one to prevent them from melting or creating drafts
  • If a candle flame becomes excessively high or flickers repeatedly, extinguish it promptly. Allow the candle to cool, trim the wick, and assess for any unwanted drafts before relighting
  • Avoid touching or moving lit candles, especially when the wax is melted. Never relocate a candle container while the wax is in a liquid state
  • Ensure candles are placed out of reach of children and pets to prevent accidental tipping or contact with the flame
  • Keep candles away from flammable objects such as furniture, curtains, bedding, and paper to reduce the risk of fire hazards

Best Way to Extinguish a Candle

Many people just blow out their candles but when doing this, it will often fill the room of a smoke smell. The correct way to extinguish a candle is to use a snuffer or a dipper. Although it can be personal preference, we prefer the dipper which can be used by doing the following:

  • Lower the dipper and use it to push the flame into the wax
  • This will extinguish the flame without ruining the scent of the candle
  • Once it’s out, you can use the dipper to stand the candle wick back up

Keep Your Wick Trimmed

We briefly covered it above but keeping your candle wick trimmed is important because it helps ensure a cleaner, more efficient burn.

A trimmed wick prevents excessive soot and smoke, reduces the risk of the candle tunneling (where the wax burns unevenly, read above for a more detailed explanation on this), and helps the candle last longer by promoting a steady, even flame. This maintenance enhances both the safety and aesthetics of using candles.

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