5 Tips to Make Your Candles Last

Get more bang for your buck with these candle care tips.  Taking good care of your candle is the best way to get the most mileage out of your favorite scents.

A lot of people think, oh come on, it's just a candle.  You light it and blow it out.  Easy peasy, right?  Well yes, but in order to maximize the life of your favorite candles there are a few tips you can use to maintain your candle for as long as possible.

THE FIRST BURN

When you light your candle for the first time, burn it until the wax melts across the entire surface of the vessel to each side.  This is called the melt pool.  Burning your candle for 1 to 1.5 hours should give you a full melt pool that extends across the entire candle.  This prevents tunneling and will create an even burn for the duration of the candle's life.  

Achieving a full melt pool could take up to 4 hours depending on the candle type, but it is important to make your candle last longer.  If you do not get a full melt pool after 4 hours, your candle maker likely used a wick that is too small, and you should shop for a higher quality candle.

TRIM YOUR WICK

KEEP IT CLEAN

Keep the melt pool free of wick trimmings, matches, strings, and anything flammable at all times.

If black soot starts to line the inside of your candle jar, wait for the candle to cool & harden, then wipe the jar with a damp cloth.  

BURN YOUR CANDLE PROPERLY

If your flame is too large or flickers wildly, your candle isn't burning properly.  Move the candle away from drafty spaces and away from air conditioners and fans to help your candle burn evenly.

CANDLE STORAGE

Store your candles in a cool, dark, and dry place.  Keep them out of sunlight to prevent fading and discoloring.

Since soy wax is vegetable based, it does have a shelf life.  Your soy wax candles should be burned within 2 years to ensure a beautiful, highly scented candle.

BUY A QUALITY CANDLE  

Last, and maybe most importantly, you need to buy a quality candle in order for it to last a long, long time.  So many factors will affect the burn of a candle, and most of these factors start before you even light your candle for the first time.  Your candle needs to be made with beeswax or high-quality soy wax to get the longest burn possible.  Your candle needs to be made with the correct size wick for its container.  So be sure to purchase a handmade, quality soy wax candle to provide your candle with a long, long life.  And, you're in luck!  Click HERE to shop for the best candles available on the market.