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Did you know... there's a right & a wrong way to burn your candle?
Have you ever noticed your candle flame growing to be 2in, 3in, or trying to escape over the side of your candle? That probably means that your wick is too high!
Here at Jackpot Candles, you’ll always hear us saying “Trim Yo’ Wicks!”, and we stand by it! If you burn your candle often, you may find your wicks getting longer and longer. If that’s true, the flames of your candle are also probably growing higher and higher.
This is bad for several reasons:
If you light your candle without trimming your wicks and the flames seem uncomfortably high, this may mean that your candle is burning too hotly. It’s one of those things that we don’t think about, but that makes so much sense. A higher flame means more fire and thus, a hotter burning candle.
Consequently, if the candle is burning at a higher temperature, that means that both the wick and the wax are disappearing faster than you want them to! The beautiful smell that you paid for will die out hours faster than it is meant to. If that isn’t reason enough to trim the wicks on your candles, just think that hotter flames can be a fire hazard!
Hotter flames will also cause any flammables nearby to melt and wilt under the heat of tall flames. If you’ve got your candle too close to any papers, plastics or anything else that might catch fire, watch out for any overheating, melting, or even burning! No one likes having to call the fire department just because their candle got too hot, or they forgot to blow it out.
On the less dramatic side of things, tall wicks are rarely an ideal aesthetic. I mean, what do people think you’re trying to tell them with your 4 inch tall flames? You’ll get more fire-bug jokes than you will compliments on the elegant smell of your home.
All jokes aside, it truly is important to Trim Yo’ Wicks. If you’re not sure where to start, keep on reading!
How do I trim my wicks?
If you’ve never trimmed a candle’s wick before, you might be wondering how the heck you’re supposed to go about trimming the wick of a candle, inside a tiny jar. While it might seem difficult, don’t worry! We’ve got you!
Scissors
If you have a larger candle, like our double wicks, you should be able to get a pair of small scissors and trim a decent amount of wick, protecting yourself from the dangers of a tall flame! It does take a bit of maneuvering if the candle is smaller, but there’s more than one way to trim a wick if scissors are too inconvenient for you!
Fingernail Clippers
If it seems like too much to maneuver a pair of kids’ scissors around inside a candle, or if the candle itself is too small (like a single wick) fingernail clippers are your go-to! Nail clippers are perfect for reaching straight down into candles and trimming little by little. A safe route to pick if you’re afraid of trimming the wick too small or even getting your hand stuck inside the candle! These work especially well on wood wick candles!
Wick Trimmers
If you want something a little more reliable than fingernail clippers or scissors, or are feeling a little bougie; pick up a set of wick trimmers! Made specifically for an easy wick-trimming experience, these beauties are made to easily fit into the thinnest of candles! No more struggling to get your hand far enough into the candle to be able to trim your wick, these specialized scissors will make any candle enthusiasts’ life so much easier!
How do I know if my wicks are too tall?
The ideal size for the wick of a candle is ¼ of an inch tall but most people suggest that you trim the wicks of your candles after every 4 hours of burn time. If you have burned your candle for a few hours and decide to trim your wick, you should extinguish your candle, allow the candle to cool down to room temperature, and then trim before re-lighting. Of course, you could also simply trim your wick before each use.
Bottom line, trimming your wicks is very important for something that’s not often talked about! We at Jackpot Candles would like to remind you to keep yourselves safe and avoid any accidents by making sure that your wicks are appropriately trimmed at all times!
(Recipe credits: New York Times’ Classic Hot Chocolate recipe by Melissa Clark; Shaken Together’s French Vanilla Hot Cocoa recipe by Melissa Riker; Tasty’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate recipe by Ellie Holland; Well Plated’s French Hot Chocolate recipe by Erin Clarke)
