Many people think that when you light a candle, you’re done and that there’s no improper way to burn the candle. Many people would think wrong. You can incorrectly burn your candle and certainly can make mistakes when burning, resulting in it burning abnormally, such as the wax burning unevenly or extinguishing itself. We here at Cortney’s Candles want to ensure you know how to properly burn a candle.

Taking precautions can help your candle burn correctly and efficiently. You can take many safeguards, such as trimming your wick, checking for debris, or burning it in the right place. Today, we discuss everything you need to know to burn your candle correctly! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know and more about adequately burning your candles.

Is Properly Burning a Candle Important?

In short, yes, it is important to burn your candle correctly. Burning your candle is essential for several reasons, such as ensuring the wax burns evenly or ensures a longer burn time. If you improperly burn your candle, it can cause several issues with how it burns or how strong it smells.

For the best results, you want to properly burn your candle every time to ensure you get the best out of your candle every time. Not to mention, improper burning could cause your candle to smoke, releasing soot into the air. An improperly burned candle is one of the last things you want.

Do you know how many benefits come from properly burning your candle?

Benefits of Properly Burning Your Candle

There are several benefits to properly burning your candle. Many things impact how your candle burns, such as a clean, even burn, or better scent throws. Benefits are a key factor when it comes to how to properly burn a candle.

These things can include but are not limited to: 

1. The wax will melt evenly. 
2. The candle will provide an excellent scent throw. 
3. The candle will last much longer, promoting longer burn times! 
4. A clean burn every time. 
5. Fewer health hazards. 

The Impact of Improperly Burning Your Candle

You may not realize the impact of improperly burning a candle. No worries! We are here to help you learn how to burn a candle the proper way. The effect is tremendous, ranging from how long your candle lasts to how good it smells while burning. If you burn your candle the wrong way, it could burn incorrectly, not last nearly as long, or even extinguish its flame!

You could also cause a memory ring, which will turn into tunneling, ultimately meaning the demise of your candle. Tunneling will no doubt ruin your candle every time. You can learn more about tunneling in this post’s “Allow Your Candles to Melt to the Container Edge is Crucial” area.

Ways to Ensure Your Candle Burns Properly

You can quickly help your candle burn properly! Once you learn the common problems or errors people make with burning candles, it is simple. You can do several things, like trimming your wick, allowing the wax to melt to the edge of the container, or checking for debris before each light.

It does not take much to burn a candle properly. All it takes is a few vital understandings, and you’ll be on your way to sufficiently burning your candles in no time! Check out the many ways you can ensure your candle burns properly below!

Your Candle’s First Burn

The first burn of your candle is ultimately the most important. You can easily ruin a candle in the first light. Many people need to burn their candles longer on the first burn. If you do not burn long enough on that first burn, the wax will not entirely melt to the edges of your candle’s container. In turn, the candle’s wax will have what is known as a “memory ring,” which can be detrimental to your candle. The memory ring will cause your candle to burn that way every time. Ultimately, this will cause your candle to tunnel.

Tunneling is when your candle burns only around the wick rather than to the edges of your candle’s container. By the end of the candle, you will have a tunnel in the center of your candle with lots of wax left over. Your candle will last less time than it should, too. When lighting your candle, make sure that you have plenty of time to burn for the candle manufacturer’s recommended burn time. A good rule of thumb is to burn one hour for every inch of the candle’s diameter. You can learn more about how long is long enough in the “Too Long or Not Long Enough” section. 

Always Trim Your Wick to 1/4 Inch Before Each Light

Consistently trimming your wick to at least 1/4 inch before each light can make or break your candle. Although it may seem simple, it can make a huge difference. Too long wicks can cause crooked and uneven burning, flaring the candle flame or sooting on the container edges. Studies have shown that trimming your wick before each light can make your candle burn for 25% longer! Who doesn’t want their candle to last longer? 

Check for Debris

A candle cannot correctly burn if there is debris, such as matches or wick trimmings in the wax. Remnants in your candle wax can add more fuel to your candle. Too much fuel to your candle flame will cause it to suddenly flare up, which could become out of control or start a small fire. The debris will add too much fuel that will catch fire. It goes without saying this could end very badly for you, your family, or your home.

Allow the Wax to Melt to the Container Edge is Crucial

Another thing to do differently is to fully allow the wax to melt to the candle container edge. Allowing the top layer of wax to melt entirely with each burn, especially the first one can benefit your candle tremendously. If you do not allow the top layer to melt to the edge completely, you can cause memory rings or tunneling. As mentioned above, these things are essentially death to your candle. You can read more about tunneling and the memory ring in the above section, “Your Candle’s First Burn.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Burning Your Candle

Everyone makes mistakes; that’s just part of living on Earth. It is essential to learn from mistakes, whether yours or someone else’s. Below, you’ll learn all the common mistakes people make when burning candles. Let us teach you so you don’t have to learn the hard way!

Too Long or Not Long Enough

Burning your candle too long or not long enough can also be detrimental to the candle. Now, this is not an exact science where you must get out your timer and count minutes. No, it roughly estimates how long your candle should burn with each light.

Burning your candle too long can cause carbon buildup on your wick; this increases the risk of your wick “mushrooming.” With the name you might’ve guessed, this is when the wick resembles a mushroom after being extinguished. Ultimately, this will make your candle’s flame on the next light unstable, producing too large of a flame. A flame that is too large can become treacherous. Your candle could start a fire or begin to release smoke and soot into your home’s air. Smoke and soot are the last things you want to fill the air you and your family breathe.

In general, it is suggested you burn candles for at least two hours, no more than four, and make sure the top layer of the wax has entirely melted. Always allow the candle to cool for at least two hours before relighting.

You’re Messing with the Lit Candle

Another common mistake people make that impacts the burn of your candle is messing with the candle. Understandably, you would want to try to “fix” the candle while it burns if you think it is burning incorrectly. However, the worst thing you can do while burning a candle is mess with it in any way. Messing with a candle could include:

• Scraping wax out of the container.
• Lighting an already ignited flame.
• Soaking up melted wax.
• Pouring wax out of the lit candle. 
• Adding more wax from other candles to your lit candle.

Do not attempt these “fixes.” They will only make your candle burn worse. If you suspect your candle is burning incorrectly, the best thing you can do is let it burn for the suggested burning time and let it cool completely, at least two hours, after extinguishing.

The candle may not burn correctly during this time; it may extinguish itself or burn unevenly. That is okay; let it do what it is going to do. Only after it has cooled should you attempt to fix the candle. You could remove excess wax, trim the wick, or remove debris. As always, do not play in the candle wax.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

No one likes to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, including candles! Candles want to be in the right spot all the time. One of the most common mistakes people make when burning is putting the candle in the wrong place. You should always keep your candle and its flame away from moving air, such as air conditioners, fans, open windows, or crowded areas with numerous moving people. The air movement can disturb your candle’s flame, resulting in unsightly black marks on the side of the candle container.

Another thing you want to make sure of is placing the candle on a clean, even, nonflammable surface. An uneven surface can cause the candle to melt unevenly. A surface with lots of clutter can cause a fire, along with a flammable surface. You want to ensure you put your candle in an area that is free of flammable objects, and always ensure it is level.

Conclusion

To conclude, you can take several precautions so your candle burns adequately, whether trimming the wick, checking for debris, or ensuring the first burn succeeds. You can take several actions to ensure your candle burns perfectly each burn. You can also make many mistakes.

We here at Cortney’s Candles want to ensure you know how to properly burn a candle each time! Always check back to learn more about candles, crystals, herbs, and more! Thank you for reading more on how to burn your candle perfectly. We hope you loved this article enough to share it with your friends, family and loved ones!

What do you think is your biggest mistake when burning candles? Feel free to voice your opinion on the matter in the comments!