I have to admit, I typically don’t light candles much, except for when the holidays roll around. I think it’s the fact that it gets dark so darn early this time of year, it’s hard to resist that warm glow and cozy vibe candles give off.
I used to buy pillar candles, but the past few years I’ve been buying ones in jars and they seem to last longer. Good candles aren’t cheap and over the years I’ve learned a few tricks on how to make a candle burn evenly.
If the sticker on the bottom of the jar says it has a burn time of 12 hours, I want to make sure I’m getting all 12 hours! Call me crazy, but I want what I paid for. 😉
Here are my tried and true tips on getting the most out of candles.
Commit.
It’s best to let candles burn for 2-3 hours at a time. This allows the candle to burn evenly all the way across the top.
If you only burn a candle for twenty minutes at a time, you will start to get tunneling. Don’t blow them out until the candle has melted all the way to the edge of the jar each time.
Keep wicks trimmed to 1/4″.
You know how the directions on pretty much every candle say to trim the wick to 1/4″ before burning? Seriously, do that. Otherwise, the candle will start to smoke and throw off soot.
You may not notice it at first, but your walls will start to show the signs. And let me tell you, getting soot off the walls is a real pain.
Keep candles away from drafty areas.
Seems like a no brainer, right? Placing a candle in a drafty area will cause tunneling. Tunneling will lead to unused side wax. Unused side wax is a total waste of money. I LOVE candles… You probably do too. So make sure you get your money’s worth!
Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Or where kids or pets can reach them. But everyone knows that, right?
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Pretty simple, right? If you follow those little tips when you light your candles, they should burn evenly.
If you’ve got a cool trick you use to make your candles last longer, please share in the comment section below.
~Mavis
P.S. What’s your favorite candle brand these days? I just discovered Farm + Sea candles and I am in LOVE! Especially with their fir tree candle. It’s perfect for this time of year.
eliz says
Fir Tree candle sounds great! Do you buy them online? There doesn’t seem to be any retailers in my area.
Mavis Butterfield says
I bought mine locally but they sell them online {15% discount when you sign up for their email}.
eliz says
Thank you
eliz says
Does it smell like apple? I read there is apple included in the fir tree candle.
Mavis Butterfield says
Not to me. It smells like a fir tree.
eliz says
Great!
debbie in alaska says
While lit, I will also scrap the soft wax from the sides of the glass towards the middle if I start to notice uneven burning.
debbie in alaska says
*scrape
Randini says
yes all of this! When my jar candles finally fizzle out, I let them cool, pop them in the freezer overnight and then in the AM the remaining wax pops right out. I save these remnants until I have enough wax to make a new candle. Then with wicks from the craft store and one of the old candle jars I melt up and pour a new candle. Uses every bit of that $$ candle.
Cindy Brick says
Freezing candles is said to make them last longer and burn more evenly. (Pantyhose too, except for the last part…but I never wear them anymore.)
Got the Little Free Library book box today — thank you so much for contributing, Mavis! People here will love your books. How kind of you.
Chris says
I switched over to only beeswax candles. The kids used to buy me large scented candles from Yankee Candles and sometimes I would buy from Thyme. I love the gentle scent and soft glow of beeswax and it helps with air quality. I have a tall rolled candle that I just can’t seem to burn evenly. I probably didn’t do a long enough initial burn, oh well.
Central Calif. Artist says
I’ve heard that for every inch in diameter, keep the candle burning an hour. This will get you to the entire top melted stage. However, “never leave a burning candle unattended” prevents me from burning them, along with the fact that they make my husband nervous, so he blows them out without regard to the state of meltedness.
Jen says
If after an hour or two a candle only burns around the wick instead pooling over the entire top of the candle, it helps to put aluminum foil around the top of the candle. This will reflect the heat back towards the candle and help the wax pool.
Alternatively, use a candle warmer. Candle warmers also reduce the risk of unattended candles.