If you've just got your first Firelight Fables candle and you're scratching your head over the wooden wick, don't worry! Let us walk you through the proper care steps to ensure a safe and effective burn, making your candle last longer and smell amazing!
Before you think about skipping this guide, PLEASE DON'T.
Knowing how to take care of your wood wick is super important to make sure your candle burns safely and effectively.
If you skip this, you might end up feeling a bit annoyed, frustrated or let down, wondering why your candle isn't burning right.
So, take a quick 5 minutes to read through this comprehensive guide that will answer all your wood wick candle questions!
The Initial Burn
Our natural coconut apricot wax behaves uniquely compared to other waxes, like soy, that typically require a full melt pool (the circular pool of melted wax that forms around the wick on the surface of the candle as it burns) to prevent tunneling.
Our candles do not require a full melt pool on the initial, or even first few burns!
You may notice some "hang ups," wax left on the sides of the candles, mainly our jars. (can be seen in our jars in the picture below; you will typically have a lot less hang ups in the tins).
THIS IS OKAY! That wax helps keep the candle from getting too hot through some of the burn and will eventually melt further in.
On the first few burns, this may look like any of the following:
A thin circle around the inside of the rim
Wax left in a thin crescent shape around one side
Or just a few spots of un-melted wax hanging on the sides of the jar.
There may even be a few hang-ups towards the end, but don't worry - we wick the jars this way intentionally and we always pour more wax into our candles than is advertised to make up for it! 😄
How Long Should I Burn My Candle For?
NEVER BURN YOUR CANDLE MORE THAN 4 HOURS AT A TIME. You should also wait at least two hours before relighting.
Letting your candle burn too long can allow the flame to potentially get too tall, create excess soot, and heat the container hotter than is ideal.
For the best (and safest) burn, extinguish your candle if it has been burning for 4 hours, let it cool completely, and then trim the wick before it's next burn.
We recommend burning your candle for at least 2 hours during each burn if possible (especially the first burn!), to ensure they have enough time to get a wide enough melt pool. This prevents excess wax buildup on the sides later on, while also avoiding burning the candles for too long.
You will know you've let your candle burn too long if the wick/flame does any of the following:
The flame starts smoking
The flame begins to extinguish itself.
There is excessive soot build up around the wick or in the wax.
Trim Your Wick
You should trim the wick before every burn! If you don’t, problems can occur.
The wick can build up soot that leads to excessive flickering and/or smoke that is unsafe and will also impact the ability of the fragrance to travel up the wick and be dispersed efficiently (meaning you won't smell your candle as well!).
Ideally, the wick is trimmed to around 1/8 of an inch. The wick should JUSTTTT be peeking out of the wax.
We trim your candles for the initial burn, so you should be able to light your candle for it's first burn without trimming the wick, but YOU will need to trim it for all future burns.
What Should I Trim My Wick With?
Wick trimmers work great for tins and the first few burns in jars, but we've found that their angle can't quite get a straight across cut in later burns when the wick get's deeper into our jars.
Our tool of choice is heavy duty straight edge nail clippers.
HERE are the ones we love using with our candles, as they can reach deep into the jar and cut the width of our 10oz jar wicks.
Curved nail clippers can make it hard to get an even trim across the wick, which is why we recommend using ones with a straight edge.
How to Trim My Wick?
Be sure to let your candle cool and re-solidify completely before trimming your wick.
Once cooled, use a paper towel or tissue to pinch off the loose soot on your wick.
Then, using your trimming tool of choice, cut a straight line across the top of your wick and ensure it is sticking out no farther than 1/8 of an inch.
Remove any bits of soot that get on the top of the wax, as this can start to clog the wick if it is left to fall into the melt pool when you burn your candles.
You should then be able to light your candle and usually have a perfectly sized flame.
Here is a quick video with some of our wick trimming tips!
What Should the Flame Look Like?
In our tins and jars, the flame should normally be ~ 1/4 - 1/2 inch tall throughout the burn if properly trimmed and blown out by the 4 hour mark.
If you notice within the first minute or two that flame seems to be smoking or is wildly flailing around, we recommend blowing the candle out quickly.
Trim down the excess wick or soot once it is completely cooled and then relight.
Here is a picture of what a flame should generally look like in our tins and jars after lighting, although it may at times get smaller or taller throughout the burn and there may be some variation in the shape:
Still Unsure About Wick Trimming...You Can Try This!
If you are worried about trimming your wick too low or not trimming it enough, here's a trick we've found to work well for getting a near perfect burn every time:
Use a paper towel or tissue to pinch off the softened soot from the wick. This should only be done on a completely cooled candle.
Light your candle for 20-40 seconds, then blow it out.
Let it cool down and any melted wax re-solidify (shouldn't take more than a few minutes).
There should now be a little more softened soot on the top of the wick that is easy to get off. Trim it off using wick trimmers, nail clippers, or - one of our favorites for this method - using scissors to scrape it off the top.
Relight your candle and you will likely have the perfect trim height!
Be sure to re-assess the wick after a few minutes to make sure it doesn't need any additional trimming (but we've found you likely won't need to!).
Hopefully this little trick helps you get a perfect trim every time - or at least until you feel confident in your wick trimming capabilities!
Burn in the Appropriate Space
If you light a small candle in a spacious room, chances are you won't catch much of its scent. Make sure you are burning our candles in the appropriate sized space.
Tealights
Our tealights are perfect for getting a preview of the scent, but they work best when placed nearby, like on a desk or by a bath.
2.7 oz Tins
These candles are ideal for smaller spaces such as an office, bathroom, or bedroom.
10 oz Jars
Our larger candles are great for filling bigger rooms. For spaces with high vaulted ceilings, they might need a bit more time to spread their fragrance.
Avoid burning where drafts or breezes are present.
Also, if the space is especially chilly, typically below 67 degrees Fahrenheit, it may struggle to get an ideal melt pool.
Discontinue Candle Use at the Right Time
For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 1/4 inch of wax remains in our tins and when ½ inch of wax remains in our jars.
At this point, you can clean out your jar and reuse it for your own storage or decor!
Burn In and On a Safe Space
We hope this is common sense, but just in case it's not...make sure you burn your candle on a heat resistant surface to avoid any danger or scarring on your surface.
Please be sure there are no flammable materials near your burn space and that children and animals cannot reach the candle. 😄
Clean Out Your Jar or Tin for Reuse
To clean and reuse, remove the remaining wax from the jar.
You should be able to simply scoop the wax out with a spoon because our wax is very soft, and then rinse clean with warm water and soap. You can use rubbing alcohol to remove any wax that is trying hard to stick around.
Once clean, reuse your tin or jar as your own treasure chest!
There! Now you are a candle care expert!
If you feel like you are doing everything right but can't smell your candle, check out our blog post HERE for why that might be and how to remedy it!
If you have any other questions about candle care, please feel free to reach out to me via our website or our email at hello@firelightfables.com. 😊
Happy adventuring friend!
Kasey, FFCC Founder & Resident Candle Wizard
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