How to Make Your Candles Last Longer: The Essential Candle Care Guide

A well made candle is something to enjoy slowly. With a little care, you can help your candle burn more evenly, avoid common problems such as tunnelling and get the most from every burn.

At Hayes & White, our candles are hand-poured using 100% soy wax. We've put together this simple candle care guide to help you enjoy your candle from the first burn to the last.

1. Get the First Burn Right

The first burn is one of the most important.

When you light your candle for the first time, allow the wax to melt across the surface as evenly as possible before extinguishing it. This helps establish an even melt pool and can reduce the risk of tunnelling during future burns.

Avoid extinguishing the candle too soon, as this can cause the wax to remember the smaller melt pool and leave unused wax around the edges.

For our candles, we recommend allowing enough time for the melt pool to reach close to the edges of the vessel, while always keeping within the recommended maximum burn time.

2. Trim the Wick Before Every Burn

One of the simplest ways to care for your candle is to trim the wick before lighting it.

A wick that is too long can produce a larger flame, more soot and an uneven burn. Before each use, allow the candle to cool completely and trim the wick to around 5mm.

Remove any trimmed pieces from the surface of the wax before lighting.

A clean, correctly trimmed wick helps your candle burn more steadily and efficiently.

3. Don't Burn Your Candle for Too Long

It can be tempting to leave a candle burning while you're relaxing at home, but longer isn't necessarily better.

We recommend burning your candle for no more than four hours at a time. Allow it to cool completely before lighting it again.

Long burns can cause the vessel to become very hot and may result in an excessively large melt pool or a less controlled flame.

If you're enjoying your candle in the evening, a few hours is usually more than enough to fill your room with fragrance.

4. Avoid Very Short Burns

While you don't want to burn your candle for too long, repeatedly burning it for just a short period isn't ideal either.

If the wax doesn't have enough time to melt evenly across the surface, you may eventually notice wax building up around the sides of the vessel. This is known as tunnelling.

Allow your candle enough time to develop a good melt pool during each burn, rather than lighting it for only a few minutes at a time.

5. Keep Your Candle Away From Draughts

Where you place your candle can have a surprising effect on how it burns.

Keep it away from open windows, fans, air conditioning and areas where there is a strong draught. Moving air can cause the flame to flicker, which may lead to an uneven melt pool and excessive soot.

A stable surface away from moving air will help your candle burn more consistently.

6. What Is Candle Tunnelling?

Tunnelling happens when the wax in the centre of the candle melts while wax remains around the outer edges.

It can be caused by several things, but one of the most common is consistently extinguishing the candle before the melt pool has had enough time to develop.

Once tunnelling has started, the candle may continue to burn down through the centre while leaving a significant amount of wax unused around the sides.

The best way to avoid it is to establish a good melt pool from the beginning and follow a consistent candle-care routine.

7. Keep the Wax Surface Clean

Before lighting your candle, take a moment to check the surface of the wax.

Remove any spent wick, match debris or other material before lighting. Keeping the surface clean helps maintain a clear, controlled flame.

If you notice a small amount of soot on the inside of the vessel, allow the candle to cool completely and gently wipe the area with a dry or slightly damp cloth.

8. Know When to Stop Burning

As tempting as it can be to use every last bit of wax, you should never burn a candle all the way down to the bottom of the vessel.

Once there is only a small amount of wax remaining, it's time to stop using the candle.

This helps prevent the vessel from becoming excessively hot and protects the surface underneath it.

It's always better to enjoy your candle safely and have a little wax left over than to try to burn every last drop.

9. Give Your Candle Time to Cool

After extinguishing your candle, allow the wax and vessel to cool completely before moving it.

This is particularly important if the vessel has become warm during burning.

Avoid placing anything on top of the candle while the wax is still soft, as this can disturb the surface.

Once completely cool, your candle is ready to be enjoyed again.

10. Give Your Candle Jar a Second Life

When your candle has reached the end of its life, don't be too quick to throw away the jar.

Our amber glass vessels can be cleaned and repurposed around your home. They can be useful for storing small bathroom essentials, cotton buds, jewellery, hair accessories, matches or other little items that need a home.

Repurposing your candle jar is a simple way to give it a second life and reduce unnecessary waste.

Enjoy Your Candle Slowly

Candles are made to create an atmosphere, so there's no need to rush them. Take the time to light one when you're settling down for the evening, enjoying a quiet morning or simply want to make an ordinary moment feel a little more special.

With the right care, your candle will burn more evenly, look its best and give you many hours of enjoyment.