At Arcandles, we consciously handpicked wooden wicks for our candles to create a warm ambience from its gentle crackling sound and unique flickering of the flame. You may find that wooden wicks light differently and can sometimes be tricky to burn if you are not used to them. So here are three essential tips to follow so that your wooden wick candle will continue to have long smooth burns with minimal glitches! 🤩🙌🏻
Tip 1: Do it right with the first burn
Believe it or not, your jar candle have a “wax-memory” and it can be hard to change the burning pattern once established. So give your candle sufficient burning time to develop a melted wax pool that goes all the way to the edge of the jar on the first use to ensure no depression or “tunnels” are formed on the wax - this can take up to a few hours, depending on candle size.
Tip 2: Keep your wooden wick trimmed and free of burnt wood.
Keep your wooden wick trimmed to about 0.3mm and clean off any burnt wood from previous use. This is so that the flame can draw the wax up through the wick. Remember it’s the wax that powers the flame, not the wooden wick.
An old set of nail clippers or clippers from a candle kit (insert your link to candle kit) will work great for trimming. Ensure your candle is cool and hard before trimming for easy cleaning.
Tip 3: Oh NO! How to I fix a candle that is “tunnelling”?
A candle can form depression or “tunnels” around the wick when it does not have sufficient time to form a full melted pool of wax on the first burn. The wax will eventually become too deep for fresh oxygen to flow in, and you candle will have trouble staying lit.
But don’t worry, here’s how you can fix it:
- Reset the “wax memory” by giving your candle a good long burn until all the wax is melted to the edge of the jar. You can do this as long as your candle stays lit. This may take up several hours so give it a little patience.
- If your candle won’t stay lit because it is “drowning” in the wax, try using a paper towel to soak up the excess wax, wait a few minutes and relight your candle. Rinse and repeat until your wooden wick can breathe!
And .. some final bonus tips!
Best way to light a wooden wick is to tilt the candle on an angle and let the flame draw across the length of the wick (Like how you tilt a match after lighting).
Your wick shouldn’t produce any soot or smoke. But if it does, this means either the wick needs a trim, or there are burnt parts interfering with the flame or there is a draft affecting the natural burn. Try doing Tips 1-3 above and it should fix this.
Remember prevention is better than cure - and if you follow these three essential tips, your wooden wick candle will love you back by staying bright and lit! 🤩