The winter holidays are also known as "candle holidays." As per the National Candle Association, Christmas accounts for around one-third of all candle revenues. During the winter, almost £1 billion worth of flames flickering! And there's a lot more to candle enjoyment than simply lighting and watching them burn. Did you know that trimming the wick on your candles might help you get the most out of them? Most people are unaware of methods how a piece of wax remains lit for a long amount of time.
Why you should be trimming the candle wick?
The wick is the knotted cotton that transports (or wicks) the wax-based fuel to the flame. If the wick is overly long, it may provide the flame with too much fuel, resulting in additional smoke. A properly sized wick will produce an even, consistent burn, allowing you to enjoy the light and smell for hours. The flame has a lovely, even shape when the wick is trimmed. Here are the benefits of trimming wicks before burning candles, and how you can do it at home:
Benefits of trimming your candle wick:
1. Increased Illumination – By trimming candle wicks, you can rest assured that your candles will burn brightly. Although candles are frequently used to establish the ambiance in a place, it is still necessary to ensure that they burn brightly. Cutting the wicks prevent burned debris from falling onto the candle wax whilst the candle is burning.
Thus, you won't have to wipe the candle's surroundings because there won't be any smoke or ash left behind. Some wood and cotton wicks will 'mushroom' or crack with regular usage - producing charred debris that you should clean.
Wide, untrimmed wicks produce stronger, larger flames, implying that your candle will burn out faster, converting your money into dust and soot. To ensure a healthy candle, we suggest trimming your candle wicks to 1/4 inch before every burn.
2. Longer Lasting Candles – Untrimmed wicks create stronger, bigger flames, causing the wax to burn more quickly than it should.
As a result, you’ll start running out of candles more often. It's like putting candles inside the fireplace and not realising they'll burn for a long time. Cutting a wick lengthens the life of a candle by making it burn longer and brighter. Even though you're eager to ignite your candles, first cut the extra wick and then watch it burn.
Conclusion:
One must trim their candle wicks regularly, at least once each time the candle is used. Wick trimmer, scissors, fingers, or toenail clippers can be used for this purpose.
You can start with scissors, however as the candle melts down, toenail clippers or a wick trimmer will be more convenient. Trimming a quarter inch off the wick guarantees that the candles light brightly and securely.
To increase the life of your candles, don't leave them burning for longer than four hours.