Getting the most out of your candle

How long will my candle last?  A very good question!  There are several factors that will impact how long your candle lasts.

Weight in ounces and hours of burn time:

Jar size, wick, environment, the length of time you burn it for (no more than 3 hours at a time!), and even the wax type and scent, but assuming it's not siting in a draft and you are a smart candle lover, and only burn it for max 3 hours at a time, your candle should last you approximately six hours per ounce. Beeswax lasts longer than soy and soy lasts longer than paraffin.  

Cotton wicks burn at a different rate than wood wicks. If your candles has 2-3 wicks it will burn at a different rate from a candle that has as single wick.

What else gets in the way?  Well, sometimes you do. :) I know, I know everyone wants to do what they're supposed to but sometimes we just forget.  What am I talking about?  Trimming your wick of course.  When you first light your candle and every time after that until it's done, your wick should be a quart inch.  No taller than the width of your pinky nail.

Why?  What does it matter?  Well a couple things can happen.  Your wick doesn't light or stay lit, or you'll get burnt bits in your candle.  Neither of which are good for you or your candle.

OK so what if I just burn it, for a long time. A long, long, long time. Simple answer. Don't.  It's not safe and you aren't getting the most out of your candle. (Really, if you burn it for more than 3 hours, you're wasting your candle and your money).  it's also not safe.  Candles aren't designed for power burns. (longer than 3 hours).  This can cause safety issues with the container getting too hot or too much melted wax.  You might be tempted to pick up that candle and if you do, not only could you spill hot wax, your hands will not thank you!  

But lots of people burn their candles for longer than three hour you say.  Yes, I know.  It's unfortunate, but not all candle lovers are as smart as you are. What about when it doesn't burn, you ask?  

When it just tunnels down the center?  Well, that could be caused by a few things, and yes one of them could be that you didn't let the candle burn long enough.  You want that melted wax, or wax pool, to go all the way across the top of the candle.

It is possible that the wick is too small for the size of the jar, and that can cause tunneling, but if you buy quality candles, you shouldn't have to deal with that.

 Should I carve up my candle? Probably better to just use a little foil and try and even it out, but we'll save that for another day.

What type of candle issues have you experienced?