Top 7 Candle Care Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
Candles are a fantastic way to create a warm and inviting atmosphere in any home. However, even the most seasoned candle enthusiasts can make some common mistakes that may shorten the life of their candles or create safety hazards. Today, we’re diving into the top 7 candle care mistakes and how to avoid them. These tips will help you get the most out of your candles, from ensuring a long-lasting burn to maintaining safety around kids and pets.
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1. Not Trimming the Wick
One of the most common candle care mistakes is forgetting to trim the wick. Keeping the wick trimmed to 1/4 inch helps prevent uneven burning, soot, and that annoying black smoke. It also extends the life of your candle.
How to Trim Your Wick Properly:
- Use a wick trimmer or a pair of scissors.
- Trim the wick before each burn.
- Make sure no debris is left in the wax.
Not trimming the wick can lead to mushrooming, where the tip of the wick gets that big black ball of soot. Trust me, it’s not just unsightly—it can also make your candle burn unevenly and faster.
2. Burning Your Candle Too Long
We’ve all been guilty of leaving a candle burning for hours while we get caught up in our favorite show or an engaging conversation. However, burning your candle for too long—more than 4 hours at a time—can cause the wick to “mushroom” or create soot.
Why This Matters:
- It can lead to overheating, which shortens your candle’s life.
- The wax pool gets too deep, which wastes wax and limits the scent throw.
To avoid this, extinguish the candle after 3-4 hours and allow it to cool before relighting. Your candle will last longer, and the scent will be more consistent.
3. Not Letting the Candle Burn to the Edges on the First Use
The first burn is critical for ensuring your candle burns evenly. If you don’t allow the wax to melt all the way to the edges of the container, your candle may tunnel—creating a hole in the middle while leaving unused wax around the edges.
How to Prevent Tunneling:
- Make sure your candle burns long enough for the melted wax to reach the edges during the first use.
- This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours depending on the candle size, so plan accordingly.
If you’ve ever had a candle with a deep hole in the center and unmelted wax around the sides, you know how frustrating it can be. Save yourself the trouble by ensuring a full melt pool the first time around.
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4. Improper Candle Placement
Where you place your candle can have a significant impact on how well it burns. Drafts from open windows, fans, or even air conditioning vents can cause uneven burning, and if the candle is near flammable objects like curtains, it becomes a fire hazard.
Best Practices for Candle Placement:
- Place your candle on a heat-resistant surface away from drafts.
- Keep it away from anything flammable, like papers, curtains, or clothing.
- Make sure the surface is stable to avoid tipping.
With kids and pets running around, a stable, high surface is ideal to avoid accidental knocks or spills.
5. Ignoring Safety Warnings
This one might seem obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Ignoring safety warnings—like never leaving a burning candle unattended or not keeping it out of reach of children and pets—can lead to serious accidents.
Safety Tips:
- Always burn your candle within sight.
- Keep it away from kids and pets.
- Use a proper candle holder, especially if it’s in a tin or jar.
With candles in tins or amber jars, you have the added benefit of a lid, which helps protect the candle from dust when not in use. But remember, even with these containers, you should always keep an eye on your candle while it’s burning.
6. Not Extinguishing Candles Correctly
It might seem easy to blow out a candle, but it’s not always the best method. Blowing out candles can cause wax to splatter, and it can even reignite if the wick is still smoldering.
The Right Way to Extinguish a Candle:
- Use a candle snuffer to safely extinguish the flame.
- Alternatively, you can dip the wick into the melted wax to extinguish it, then straighten it for the next burn.
Snuffing out the candle helps avoid those little splatters of wax on your tables and counters (or worse, your favorite rug!).
Candle Care Kits
7. Burning the Candle All the Way to the Bottom
As tempting as it is to get the last bit of scent out of a candle, burning it all the way to the bottom can be risky. When too little wax is left (less than 1/4 inch), the container can overheat, potentially cracking or damaging the surface underneath.
What to Do Instead:
- Stop burning when 1/4 inch of wax remains in the container.
- Repurpose the leftover wax for homemade fire starters if you don’t want to waste it.
You can even reuse the empty tins or jars for other purposes—like storing small items or for DIY projects. Amber jars, in particular, are stylish and block UV rays, helping to preserve the fragrance for longer periods.
Wax Melts as an Alternative
If you love the smell of candles but worry about the open flame—especially if you’ve got curious grandkids or mischievous pets—our handmade wax melts are a fantastic alternative. Wax melts give you the same wonderful scent without the fire hazard. Just pop a wax melt into a warmer, and enjoy!
Candle Warmers as an Alternative
Candle warmers are a great alternative to lighting the wick. By using gentle heat from a ceramic or electric base, they melt the wax and release the fragrance without an open flame. This option is ideal for households with children or pets, offering a safer way to enjoy your favorite scents. Additionally, using a candle warmer can help prolong the life of your candle since it evenly melts the wax without burning through the wick, reducing soot and residue in the jar.
Summary of Candle Care Tips
Candles can bring so much warmth and joy into our homes, but only if we take the time to care for them properly. If you follow these candle care tips, you’ll enjoy a longer-lasting, better-performing candle.
For those looking for great-smelling candles made from a blend of paraffin, soy, and beeswax, check out my shop at Mid-Life Livin’. You can also browse my range of wax melts for a flame-free option!
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