How to take care of your candles

By MiNDFOOD

How to take care of your candles
We chat with a candle expert and find out how to get the most out of your candles.

There’s nothing quite like a fragrant candle to create a cosy atmosphere and to make a space smell divine. But if you want your candles to last, you need to know how to take care of them.

We caught up with Mary Gordon from Abbey Rose to find out how to make the most of your candles.

  1. Equip yourself with a wick trimmer (a pair of scissors will also do a great job), and a gas lighter.
  2. Each time you light your candle (and especially the first lighting) burn your candle long enough for the wax to melt and pool to the edge of the glass- this will help prevent tunnelling.
  3. A gas lighter is perfect as it will keep your fingers safe and you will avoid match falling into the candle.
  4. Using a wick trim (or your scissors) keep wicks trimmed to 12 mm. The longer wick means the candle will have more intensity of light, ambience and scent. It may burn a bit quicker but you will have a much more attractive flame and scent throw.
  5. Before lighting the candle look to see if a ball or a “mushroom” has formed at the end of the wick. If it has, trim this off as close as you can. These “mushrooms” can cause the wick to smoke, and can also fall off into the candle and get stuck in the molten wax. Trim these off even if you end up with a shorter wick.
  6. If soot forms on the inside of the candle jar, extinguish the candle, wait for it to cool, then wipe it with a clean cloth. Trim the wick and relight.
  7. The location of your candle is important, keep it away from airstreams like heat pumps, windows, or fans to ensure an even burn.
  8. For maximum fragrance light your candle 30 minutes before you have people around.

 

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