7 Candle Care Mistakes You Might Be Making

Are you making these common candle care mistakes? To get the most out of your scented candles, it's important to make sure you're taking care of them properly. In this article, we'll explore seven candle care mistakes that could be affecting the burn time and fragrance throw of your favourite candles. From not trimming the wick to choosing the wrong candle size for your room, we'll cover all the essential tips you need to know to ensure your candles burn beautifully and smell great every time. Let's dive in:

Not trimming the wick properly

Leaving your wick untrimmed can cause tall, dancing flames. Excess heat accelerates the release of more delicate fragrance notes, causing the scent to disappear quickly or to smell “burnt”. Excessive flames will also produce more soot, though this will be minimised if you purchase candles made with vegetable waxes like soy or coconut.  By trimming the wick to about a quarter of an inch before lighting, you can also extend the candle’s lifetime to its maximum potential, allowing you to enjoy your candle for as long as possible.

Burning the candle for too long

Burning a candle too long (over 4 hours at a time) can cause the wax to overheat, which evaporates fragrance too quickly and weakens the overall scent throw. It can also cause the wax to burn at a faster rate than intended, reducing the lifespan of your candle. For best results, it's recommended to burn your candle for up to 4 hours at a time.

Ignoring room size

Room size will affect how noticeable the scent of your candle is. Fragrance is released by the wax on the surface of the candle, which means if you're trying to add fragrance to a large room that it’s important to choose a candle with a large diameter, or to burn multiple candles at a time (you could try mixing different scents to create unique combinations). On the other hand, a large candle in a small room can be overwhelming. Consider the size of the room when selecting and burning your candles to ensure you get the best experience and fragrance throw possible.

Poor placement 

Place your candle on a central-surface where air circulates freely for the best fragrance distribution. Placing your candle near open windows or vents can cause the fragrance to dissipate too quickly, or create an unstable flame.

Not allowing a full melt pool to form on the first burn

Candles have memory. This means that on your candle's first burn you should allow the melted wax pool to reach the edges of the container. Not allowing a full melt pool on the first burn can lead to tunnelling, which is when wax accumulates at the edge of the container. This can waste wax and shorten the lifespan of your candle. By allowing a full melt pool on the first burn (ideally every burn) you can ensure your candle has greater lifespan and more fragrant scent throw.

Not storing candles properly

When not in use, it's important to store your candles properly to protect them from dust, temperature fluctuations and direct sunlight. This will help preserve their scent and appearance. Exposure to direct sunlight or excessive heat can cause your candle to sweat – droplets of oil can collect on the candle surface that have leached from the wax. This is common with vegetable waxes. Often the excess oil will reabsorb over time; but if it doesn't, wipe it with a cloth before lighting the candle again.

Ignoring safety precautions

Ignoring safety precautions, such as trimming the wick and keeping the melt pool free of debris, can cause large, dancing flames and overheat the candle container. It's important to follow these guidelines to ensure the safety, longevity and performance of your candle.

By being mindful of these common candle care mistakes, you can ensure that your candles burn beautifully and smell amazing every time. Remember these tips to get the most out of your scented candles!

For our full list of safety tips, click here.

To browse our range of gothic inspired scented candles, click here.