Tips for Using Soy Candles & Wax Melts
Soy Candle Tips
Maximizing Burn Time
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​To maximize burn time for my soy candles you should keep the wicks trimmed to 1/4 inch. This will keep the candles from burning too hot thus burning away the wax and scent oil more quickly than intended. You can use a toe nail trimmer if you don't have a wick trimmer for shorter candles. Wick trimmers are better for taller/deeper candles and I highly recommend using because they have a built in base height of 1/4 inch for easy trimming to recommended wick height. They are also longer making it much easier for taller candle jar wick trimming. Wick trimmers are not expensive for a simple version but come in variety of styles. These also make great gifts for any candle lover.​​​
How can you tell if your candle is burning too hot? The simple rule is there should be approximately 1/4 inch of melted wax (wax pool) evenly across the candle. If wax pool is a lot deeper than this, it is burning too hot. To address the issue, follow the above two rules regarding wick length and burn time.​
Keep your burn time around the recommended 4 hour limit. Burning for too long could also burn away the wax and scent more quickly than intended. Simply extinguish the flame, allow to cool to a solid form then you may re-light.
How do I know which size candle to purchase?
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You may purchase any candle size you like but what you want to keep in mind when considering size is the amount of scent throw needed for the space in which you will burn the candle. This is determined by a combination of candle diameter and wick strength. The larger diameter, the larger wick strength or the number of wicks will be required to burn the candle at the proper heat level as described in the Maximizing Burn Time section.
Tiny rooms such as a powder room, would only require a smaller candle because a larger candle could overwhelm the space with scent but a larger open space may require multiple smaller candles or one larger or multi-wick candle to acheive an ideal amount of scent throw. The ideal amount of scent throw in a candle can vary by scent, candle maker, and individual personal taste.
Why is my candle tunneling?
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What is candle tunneling? It is when the wax pool doesn't reach the edges of the candle vessel, overtime creating a big hole going down the center of the candle with leftover wax on the sides.
The most common reason for candle tunneling is lighting and extinguishing a candle too quickly before the wax pool has reached the edge of the vessel. When this is done once to a candle, it can sometimes continue burning only to that wax pool width, creating a type of burn memory. To avoid this, make sure to burn the candle until wax pool reaches the edge, especially the first time it is lit.
Another thing that can cause this issue, which isn't nearly as common, is the wick is not strong enough for the diameter size of the candle. Most candle makers have tested the burn quality however like any product you purchase, you could have gotten a candle with a defective wick, unknown to the candle maker. If you burn a soy candle for two hours and the wax pool has not reached the edge, your candle is burning too cold.
Soy Wax Melt Tips
Maximizing Burn Time and Scent Throw
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The way to control scent throw and burn time with soy wax melts is simple. Whether you are using a candle or wax melt in a warmer the basic concept of burning hotter than intended is the key. I recommend using a wax warmer with temperature control and a timer. Being able to adjust the level of heat is especially important for smaller rooms where burning too hot can overwhelm the space with scent and burn away the wax/scent oil too fast. Larger rooms may require a higher setting to achieve the desired scent throw. The timer feature on a wax warmer is great for not only safety purposes but also to prevent unnecessary burn time that would result in wasted wax.
​Wax Melt and Warmer Tips for Clean Up and Less Wasted Wax
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Cleaning wax warmers can be very simple if using silicone cup/liners for easy clean up or to switch scents without waste. All you need to do is once wax is cooled, pop it out of silicone liner/cup and either throw away or put in plastic bag to re-use later. Some warmers come with silicone liners but you may also purchase these separately.