Light Up, Shine Bright - Candle Burning Tips + Tricks

Light Up, Shine Bright - Candle Burning Tips + Tricks

As the holiday season approaches, our houses become cozy refuges from chilly winds and cold rain. To make your living spaces even more comforting and pleasant during this time, candles are the way to go.  We suggest beeswax, soy, or coconut wax candles for the cleanest burn. Plus, they light up and warm up your life - if you burn them right!

(Yes, there is a right way to burn your candles!)

Following a few simple guidelines will make your  candles last much longer, burn cleaner, brighter, and even prettier than they do already. 

  • What you do when lighting your candle for the first time sets the stage for the life of your candle. Once your candle is lit up, don't blow it out until the top layer of wax has melted all the way across, pooling out to the edges.

  • Trim the wick before you light up your candle. Tapered candle wicks should be kept slightly longer. This keeps the flame in control and will give you a brighter and cleaner burn. ¼” is the general recommendation for this.

  • After burning, gently "hug" or fold in the edges of the wax to contain the wax pool of your  pillars. This prevents tunneling and extends the life of your candle.

    Candles should burn one hour for every 1 inch in diameter of the actual candle size. Otherwise the wick starts to sink, creating a tunnel right through the center of the candle.  It’s not just that tunneling doesn’t look very nice, it is wasteful, too: The candle becomes harder to light or goes out, because the wick gets drowned by the wax that melts from the top of the tunnel what can make you lose your wick entirely. Besides that you won’t be able to burn the whole amount of wax anymore.

    If you never burn your candles for more than an hour or two, go for small, narrow jars, tealights, or votives instead of large pillars or jar candles. 

  • Keep your candles away from moving air. Open windows, moving doors, air conditioners, and fans disturb the flame and the fuel conditions. This makes the candle burn faster and unevenly, and can cause black marks on the glass and makes pillars droop.
  • The safest way to extinguish a candle is to use a spoon, a pinch or snuff the flame. Alternatively, press the wick into the melt pool to avoid smoke and to recoat the wick.

  • Never leave a burning candle unattended and keep them always out of reach of children and pets. 


    Enjoy the cozy candle time!


    Key notes:

    • Don't blow it out until the top layer of wax has melted
    • Burn one hour for every 1 inch in diameter of the actual candle size
    • Keep the wick trimmed to 1/4" and the flame less than 1" high.
    • After burning, gently "hug" or fold in the edges of the wax.
    • Keep your candles away from moving air
    • To extinguish your candle, use a spoon to pinch or snuff the flame
    • Never leave a burning candle unattended.
    • Always keep out of reach of children