Candle Care
Proper care ensures the best burn and longest life for your candles
First Burn = Memory Burn
The first burn is crucial to creating the memory burn. A short first burn creates a tunnel that gets worse every time you light it, eventually drowning the wick.
On the very first burn, let the candle melt completely to all edges. This can take 2–4 hours depending on size (roughly 1 hour per inch of diameter).
After the first burn, full melt pools aren't required every time, but a long burn every few uses keeps the candle even and maximizes burn time.
Remember: Burn 2–4 hours (or 1 hour per inch of jar width) until wax melts completely to every edge.
Candles have "wax memory" and a short first burn causes permanent tunneling → wick drowns.
Wick Trim Length Is Critical
While a short wick is necessary to properly pull the wax up, cutting it too short can cause problems. If the wick is too short, it may drown in the wax, struggle to light, or burn with a very low flame. Don't hesitate to leave it a bit longer than 1/4" and adjust as needed.
Keep it ~1/4″ (slightly longer is safer than too short).
Too short → flame drowns or won't stay lit.
Wood wicks self-trim a bit, but always remove black mushroom/carbon buildup.
How to Fix Drowning Wick / Tunneling
If your wood wick won't stay lit or draw properly, start by trimming it to exactly 1/4″ (go shorter as needed) and removing all charred or blackened material. If the wick is buried or drowning in wax, gently scrape or melt away the excess until it's exposed, then re-trim.
Steps to Fix:
- Trim wick and remove debris
- Soak up excess liquid wax with a paper towel; repeat until the wick can breathe
- Scrape away excess wax
For tunneled candles, simply burn 3–4+ hours in one session until the wax melts completely to the edges—this resets the wax memory and restores proper draw.