Candle season is here and scented candles are especially wonderful!
Here at Snapdragon we absolutely love them… for their gorgeous fragrance and soft light that creates atmosphere and warmth as well as their ability to evoke and create memories.
But are you fed up with candles with half the wax unburnt and stuck on the sides of the container (the dreaded tunnelling)?
Or unpleasant sooty smoke billowing from them?
Well, it’s easy to make these a thing of the past with just a little know-how, and below we share our top tips so you too will have well-behaved candles!
1.The first burn is where is can all go wrong!
It’s crucial that on the first burn you keep it lit long enough so that all the wax on the candle surface is melted, right across to the sides of the vessel – a full melt pool. The larger the surface area, the longer this will take.
So, a tealight will have a full melt pool in 15 minutes but a small amber glass apothecary style jar candle may take an hour or so, with a large or multi-wicked candle taking several hours.
We think it’s best to allow a full melt pool to develop each time you burn you candle, but it’s the first burn that’s particularly important.
2. Trim the wick each time you light the candle to around 6-10mm in length, and trim during burning if it gets very long (best to use a wick trimmer). Keep the wax free from debris such as wick trimmings and match ends
This helps achieve an even burn and melt pool and controls the size of the flame which helps prevent soot forming on the wick and smoke developing.
3. Place your candle away from draughts such as near open doors or windows. This not only prevents smoking and uneven burning but just as importantly, it maximises the scent throw into your space.
4. Extinguish your candle with a snuffer or a lid or if you must blow it out, do so very gently.
This will prevent splattering hot wax everywhere and prevent smoking. Lids, often supplied with a candle also help keep dust off the wax when not is use,
5. Never leave a burning candle unattended and always protect the surface it’s placed upon.
We have a great selection of candle brands and fragrances at Snapdragon and all our candles, whether bought for yourself or as a gift, come with our candle care card.
Happy candle season!
