Learn How to Prevent Candle Tunneling With Tips On How to Burn a Candle Evenly
The only sad thing about scented candles is that they don't last forever! Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that you always get the most satisfaction out of your favorite Goose Creek scented candles. Have you been wondering how you can get your candles to burn evenly down to the very last drop of wax? One simple tip is to learn how to fix candle tunneling, which is where they "sink" in the middle with unmelted wax surrounding the wick. This useful guide can help ensure that you know how to prevent your richly scented candles from tunneling and, if they do, what you can do about it.
What Is Candle Tunneling?
Candle tunneling happens when the flame of your candle only melts the central portions of the candle surrounding the wick, leaving behind a stubborn ring of wax. Basically, the wick burns through the wax column like a tunnel-boring machine, leaving a hollow interior with plenty of perfectly good wax that is now out of reach to the flame. You bought that candle because you loved the scent, and you should be able to burn it the whole way through! And once you do, you can enjoy your candle even more with a craft day using empty candle jars.
Up to now, you may have experienced this common occurrence and thought of it as something that you just have to live with. Fortunately, this isn't the case and the solution involves learning how to burn a candle evenly to prevent a tunnel from forming.
Up to now, you may have experienced this common occurrence and thought of it as something that you just have to live with. Fortunately, this isn't the case and the solution involves learning how to burn a candle evenly to prevent a tunnel from forming.
How to Fix Candle Tunneling
With this problem, prevention really is the best medicine, but there are a few things you can do if you've already found yourself halfway through a tunneled candle. First, scrape the excess ring of wax from the sides of the candle. Make sure you scrape the wax closer to the wick so the candle wick can burn evenly with the rest of the candle. You could also use a hair dryer or another heating tool to melt the wax down until it's within reach of the flame, although this should be cautiously. Another option is to place the lit candle inside of a vase, or another container. This method uses the container's enclosed heat to melt the excess wax around the top of the candle.
Short wicks might also lead to tunneling, and while you obviously can't length a wick, there are ways to work around this problem. Should the wick be sunken into melted wax, use a pair of tweezers to pull it out. You may need to chip away at the wax first, being careful not to cut into the wick as you do. Be sure you don't dig too deep or you'll only make the tunneling issue worse.
The great thing about candle wax is that it's extremely adaptable and forgiving, so you can probably get it back to a good place with a little bit of crafty manipulation.
How to Prevent Candle Funneling
As previously mentioned, the best way to handle tunneling is to learn how to prevent it. Most of us simply light a candle without thinking, assuming it will burn properly and evenly. But there are a few tips you should know how to fix candle tunneling. Following these tips can ensure that your candles are less tunnel-prone as you burn them.
- Make sure you melt the entire top portion of the candle on the first burn. How? Burn the candle in one sitting for as long as it takes to burn through the top layer. Don't blow the candle out until that entire top layer is melted, or the candle may tunnel for good.
- Only use clean-burning candles made with premium wax and cotton wicks.
- Stick to two- or three-wick candles that create a more even, leveled burn.
- Be sure to burn your candles only in non-breezy, enclosed areas. Any wind or moving air can feed the flame and cause the candle to burn quickly and unevenly.
We know you love your Goose Creek candles, so why not make them last? These helpful tips can ensure that you get to enjoy the entire candle from the initial burn to that teeny, tiny last bit of wax!