Candle Care Instructions: Wood Wicked Candles
Wood wicked candles need a little more love and attention than traditional cotton wicks that you may be used to. But don’t worry, they’re still super easy to care for and absolutely worth it. Here’s how to burn a wood wick candle for best results.
#1: Trim your wick
Trimming your candle is at the top of our candle care tips. Use a wick trimmer to trim the wick to 1/2″ before lighting your candle. Do this every time before lighting your candle to ensure a clean and safe burn. This is one of the most important things you can do to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
#2: Let it burn
Allow the soy wax to melt to the edges of the jar every time before blowing it out. This is especially important the first time you use the candle!
Soy wax has what we call a “wax memory”. If the candle burns halfway to the edge, then the next burn it will “remember” to burn to that same spot. So, allowing a full melt pool is essential for a healthy, long lasting candle.
#3: Safety first
There’s some important safety tips when burning a candle. Never leave it unattended and don’t burn the candle for longer than 4 hours at a time to avoid overheating. Burn on a safe, heat resistant surface away from children and pets. And most importantly, stop burning the candle when there’s about 1/2″ of wax remaining.
Burning below 1/2″ of wax can lead to the glass jar getting too hot and possibly breaking. So, it’s important to know when to stop and grab a new candle.
A few extra tips for best results
Light at a 45 degree angle:
A big question we get is how to light a wooden wick candle. You may have noticed that wood wicks take a little longer to light on the first burn than cotton. Hold the candle at a 45 degree angle so the flame from your lighter (or match) runs along the entire wick.
Hold the flame against the wick until you start to see it spread across the entire wick. You may need to hold it there for about 10 seconds. Think of it this way- you’re lighting wood like you’re starting a campfire. It takes an extra few seconds to get the wood to light when it hasn’t been burned before.
Reuse those jars:
One of our favorite tips is to put your candle jars to good use! We love repurposing them for trinket dishes, cactus planters, and more. Simply clean out your candle jar using the tips in this post: How to remove candle wax in 3 simple steps.
Let it cool:
Let your candle fully cool before trying to move it. Never try to extinguish the flame by using the flame. This would trap heat under the lid which can lead to cracked vessels.
I hope these quick instructions help you get the best results out of your new candle! Crackling wood wicks create such a relaxing atmosphere. They send my mind back to camping and listening to the bonfire burn.
Let us know if you have any additional candle care questions.