The Burning Candle:  Making it Last

If you're like most people, when you get your candle home, you eagerly light it.  The burning candle lets the wondrous fragrance fill your home.

Stop.  Before you light that candle, learn how to make it last as long as possible .

Start With the Wick

Strange as it may seem, you should trim your candle's wick before you burn it for the first time, and any time later when it gets too large.  The wick should be no more than 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch above the candle (depending on your candle directions).

Why?  The longer the wick, the hotter the flame.  The hotter the flame, the faster the candle burns.  There won't be more scent released (that you'll be able to tell), but the burning candle won't last nearly as long.

What can you use to trim the wick?  Naturally you can use a pair of household scissors.  There are also special candle wick trimmers you may want to consider.

Type of Wax

When selecting your purchase, think about the kind of wax it's made from.  Natural (palm) wax and soy wax can hold more fragrance than any other kind, so the aroma lasts longer.

Natural and soy waxes also have the advantage of burning cleaner than other types.

How Long for Burning a Candle?

It's really tempting to light your richly scented candle and go about your day.  One hour, two.  Four hours, five...wait!  That candle's burning too long.

When the candle burns more than three or four hours, the melt pool becomes large, and so the wick tries to keep up.  Although the wick can't quite burn as fast as the wax melts, it does end up burning hotter.

And you know what hotter means -- a shorter candle life.

As strange as it may sound, if your candle comes with burning instructions, take a look at them. 

For example, I just read the instructions on a Yankee Candle jar candle and it says to quit burning when the wax is half gone, or the glass jar may shatter from the heat! While I imagine you can indeed burn it longer, you do need to keep safety in mind.

Options

The most obvious option is to buy more than one candle, and light them in rotation.  Perhaps start with a scented jar candle or pillar.  Then, when the three to four hours are up, switch to a votive or two for awhile.

Another option would be to try a type of flameless candle called a "melt" or "wickless".

Of course, if your burning candle is a highly scented one, you might not even need to burn another one for a few hours anyway! 

If you're using discount scented candles, however, then you may need to keep burning more in rotation to keep the scent alive.  So instead of one richly scented candle, you may need two or three discount candles to release the same fragrance.

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When is a Candle Snuffer Not a Candle Snuffer?

When it's a pair of scissors!

We tend to think of a candle snuffer as something that puts candles out, but in reality, the snuffer makes it burn longer.

A snuffer was originally a device used to trim candle wicks.

By keeping the wick on your candle trimmed to the proper length, your burning candle can last longer for you.