A luxury candle is one of life's little pleasures.
With one light, you can change the vibe of a room, cue a mood, and usher in a sense of warmth and “home.”
But sometimes a candle can morph into a waxy “situation” that seems to have a mind of its own.
There’s not much that’s more frustrating than indulging in a luxuriously scented candle, only to discover it’s burning a crater straight down its middle or leaving sooty blackness on the sides of its fancy designer container.
What’s the best way to take care of your candles and ensure you get the most enjoyment out of your investment?
Dr. Tiffany Moon to the rescue!
Keep reading to discover Tiffany’s top secrets for getting the most possible sniffs out of your candles in her Candle Care Guide.
Table of Contents
- How Do You Take Care of Expensive Candles?
- 5 ‘Wick-ed’ Tips for Candle Maintenance
- Shop Tiffany Moon’s Luxury Candle Collection: Aromasthesia
How Do You Take Care of Expensive Candles?
First off, proper candle care isn’t rocket science, but there are ways to help maintain the life of your candle, including:
- Trimming the wick
- Burning for the optimal length of time
- Proper storage
- Avoiding drafts; and
- Allowing the candle to cool before moving it to a new location
Learn more below about how to take care of a candle with Tiffany’s 5 pro-tips for candle maintenance.
5 ‘Wick-ed’ Tips for Candle Maintenance
#1: Trim Your Candle Wick
The first thing you want to do when you get a brand-new candle is to check the wick. If it isn't the right length, you won't be getting the most out of your candle from the get-go.
A candle wick should be around ¼” long. My handy-dandy wick trimmer is just what you need for snipping it to the perfect length.
Each time you burn your candle, be sure to start your wick at this same length. But to keep debris from sinking into hot wax, only trim the wick when your candle is cool.
What happens if you extinguish your candle only to find the wick has moved during burning? No problem! Simply let your candle cool slightly and then use a pair of tweezers to center and straighten the wick.
What Happens if Your Candle Wick Is Too Long?
A key to caring for candles is having good wick maintenance. And a candle wick that is too long can cause problems.
When you burn a candle with a wick that’s too long, it consumes more wax than it can effectively burn and may result in:
- Uneven melting
- A flickering flame
- A wick “mushroom” of carbon buildup
- Soot accumulation on the container
- An off-center wick; or
- Smoke
What Happens if Your Candle Wick Is Too Short?
Sometimes your candle may not burn quite right, leaving you with a wick that’s only a tiny stub of its former self.
One of the reasons for this is called “tunneling.” Tunneling occurs when wax burns unevenly, causing a crate in the center with a higher level of wax around the edges of the jar. This accumulated wax then melts during future burns, drowning the wick.
That’s why it's so important to always burn a candle long enough to let the wax melt uniformly across the surface.
So what do you do if you inadvertently wind up with a too-short-to-light candle wick?
No need for drama, all is not lost. Give one of these tips a try:
- Carefully use a table knife to scrape out some of the excess wax.
- Use a click lighter to melt some wax around the wick. Light the wick and allow the weak flame to burn for just long enough to melt a bit of surrounding wax. Blow the candle out and use a tissue to remove the melted wax.
#2: Burn Your Candle for 2-4 Hours at a Time
This is a tip you’ll definitely want to take: Always burn your candle for 2-4 hours at a time.
This ensures your candle will become completely liquid across the surface. The exact time this takes depends on several variables, including:
- The type of wax
- The amount and type of fragrance
- The temperature of the surrounding air
- The surface your candle is sitting on; and
- The type of container
What Happens if You Burn Your Candle for Less Than 2 Hours?
Have you ever burned a candle and wound up with a hollowed-out crater in the middle?
That’s called candle tunneling, and it’s what happens when you don't burn your candle long enough.
As it burns, candle wax forms a memory ring. And when it’s burned for only a short time, the wax isn’t able to melt all the way to the candle's full diameter — and can cause tunneling.
Tunneling can leave you with a bunch of wasted wax, and it can shorten your candle’s lifespan.
If you do wind up with a tunneled candle, here are some solutions for restoring a smooth wax surface:
- Give tin foil a try. Follow me here. Secure a piece of foil around the top of your candle, leaving a hole in the middle, just above the wick. Now, light your candle and let it burn for half an hour or so. When you unwrap the foil, voilà, your candle should be good as new.
- Another easy option is to pull out your hairdryer. Turn that bad boy on low and heat the tall circle of wax until it melts back into the middle.
What Happens if You Burn Your Candle for More Than 4 Hours?
Burning a candle for over four hours is also problematic.
Once you get beyond the four-hour mark, the candle wax begins to superheat, which can lead to:
- Uneven burning
- Movement of the wick
- A wick “mushroom”
- A dangerously large flame
- Reduced scent
- The creation of smoke; and
- Soot on the candle container
#3: Store Your Candles in a Cool, Dry Place
How you store your candles matters.
You’ll get the longest life out of your favorite candle if you store it in low-to-moderate temperatures, out of direct sunlight.
Cool, dry places like …
- Closets
- Cupboards; and
- Dry basements
… make perfect storage locations.
Ideally, you want to keep your candles at a temperature between 50-85 °F.
What Happens if You Don’t Properly Store Your Candle?
If you want your candle to live a long, full life, you have to store it just so.
Neglecting this aspect of candle maintenance can cause:
- Fading fragrance
- An accumulation of dust on the surface of the wax
- Discolored wax; or
- A stale, “off” scent
#4: Keep Lit Candles Away From Drafts or Fans
A draft is your candle’s #1 enemy and can cause it to burn unevenly — or even completely kill the flame.
Be sure to keep your candle away from:
- Ceiling fans
- Stray breezes
- Open windows
- AC units
- Air vents; and
- High traffic areas
If you see the flame starting to flicker or notice tunneling, move your candle to a place with less air movement.
What Happens if Your Lit Candle Is Exposed to Drafts?
A candle that’s placed in a drafty spot can be a safety hazard, particularly if the wick is longer than it should be.
Drafts can result in a blazing flame that can not only start a fire, but also cause uneven burning, black soot, and gunky wax accumulation around the inside of the jar.
For the very best results, your candle’s flame should be virtually motionless and free of flickering or smoke.
And if you happen to notice soot or debris accumulating inside the container, gently extinguish your candle and use tweezers to pluck it out.
#5: Let Candle Wax Cool Completely Before Moving Your Candle
Always let the wax cool completely before moving a candle.
Depending on the temperature of the room, this may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
What Happens if Your Candle Wax Doesn’t Cool Completely?
Your mama was right, patience is a virtue.
Be patient and give your candle plenty of time to cool completely before moving it to a new location.
If you get all hasty and pick it up while the wax is still in the liquid state, the melted wax can splash up onto the sides of the container and harden.
Not only does this take away from the aesthetics of the candle’s container, but it also results in an uneven burn pattern.
Shop Tiffany Moon’s Luxury Candle Collection: Aromasthesia
And there you have it!
Everything you know about how to take care of a candle straight from the Candle Queen herself, Tiffany Moon.
If you’re looking for the best in luxury candles, look no further than Tiffany’s Aromasthesia line.
This unique collection of long-lasting luxury candles is triple-scented and crafted from …
- The highest quality essential oils and natural fragrances; and
- A proprietary soy wax
Choose your favorite single scent — or go a little wild and enjoy FREE shipping when you order Tiffany’s exclusive 4-pack of her personal faves, including:
- Epinephrine: Amber and jasmine
- Alprazolam: Jasmine and lucky bamboo
- Propofol: Red rose petals and currant
- Labetalol: Sandalwood and musk
Aromasthesia candles are made right here n the USA, and we are proud to donate a portion of the proceeds to The Family Place.
Enjoy long-lasting luxury with Tiffany Moon’s Aromasthesia candles.