7 in 10 American households, according to surveys, own and burn candles each year. That means nearly all of us could benefit from learning to burn candles to get the best flame from them. This extends the candle’s life and keeps it clean burning.
The Steps To Making The Perfect Candle Flame
Whether you’re conducting a candle ritual or seeking the benefits that come from burning candles, you’re going to need a candle to start with.
You can buy your candle in a store or you can make one with a candle-making kit.
Then you can start with our step-by-step guide to getting the perfect flame:
- Cover your candle
Before a candle is lit, it’s best to keep it covered. This prevents dust, household filth, etc. from settling on the wick and wax, which means that it will burn more cleanly. - Trim the candle wick
Every time that you start burning a candle, the first thing to do is trim the candle wick, you need just enough for it to burn but not enough that the wick becomes a fuel source (and thus, produces soot). So, trim it back to between ¼” and ⅛” to start. - Don’t tunnel
This means burn the candle long enough that you get the surface melted right out to the rim, but not long enough for it to start burning unevenly from the center – blow it out when it reaches the rim and light another if you still need candle light at this point. - Limit burning to a maximum of 4 hours
As you burn your candle, the wick starts to collect soot and it starts to bulge and burn unevenly. After 4 hours, the wick doesn’t function very well, so it’s best to burn for no more than 4 hours. - Wipe when done
Give your candle a quick wipe once you’ve finished burning it, to keep it in great condition.