How do you keep candles from tunneling?

It’s a little-known fact that candles have a memory. 

When and where you blow a candle out, it remembers. For example, if you light a new candle to see what it smells like and then blow it out 15 minutes later, a small ring will form in the middle. Why? Because you only let that small ring of wax around the wick melt. 

The next time you light the candle, it will only melt to that ring, creating a tunnel. This is known as a memory pool in the candle-making world. That is precisely why learning how to burn a candle properly is essential. 

 

How to Burn a Candle Properly and Light the Wick

  • Start by trimming the wick to ¼ inch 

  • Discard any debris

  • Place the candle in a safe place to burn 

  • Next, light your candle with a long match or bendable candle lighter (This allows you to avoid tilting the candle to the side when lighting)

  • Allow the candle to burn until the entire top layer of the candle is liquid, reaching from edge to edge across the candle (this can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours for a single-wick candle and longer for a multi-wick candle, typically 1 hour per 1 inch of the candle diameter

When a candle burns down to less than ½ an inch, extinguish it and do not use it again. If you don’t stop using a candle before there’s no wax left, heat from the direct flame could burn against the metal wick tab or the bottom of the container. You could end up cracking the container and damaging anything near the candle. 

The size of your room is a crucial factor in determining the right candle size. Large rooms require bigger candles, while small rooms require smaller candles. A small candle in a large room will not emit enough fragrance, while a large candle in a small room may be overpowering.

To determine the appropriate size of the candle, consider the square footage of the room. A general rule of thumb is to use one candle per 100 square feet. For example, if your room is 300 square feet, you should use three candles.