The Ultimate Candle Care Guide: How to Get the Most from Your Wick & Wist Candles
Lighting a candle is more than just a way to fragrance your home, it’s a ritual of calm, comfort, and self-care. But did you know that how you care for your candle can make a huge difference to its burn, fragrance, and lifespan?
At Wick & Wist, our sustainable candles are hand-poured with plant-based wax and designed to bring you hours of gentle light and fragrance. To help you enjoy every moment, we’ve put together this ultimate candle care guide.
1. Trim Your Wick Every Time
Before lighting your candle, trim the wick to around 5mm. This simple step prevents smoky flames and ensures a steady, even burn. A well-trimmed wick also helps your candle last longer and keeps your jar looking clean. If you haven't got one already, our wick trimmers are a must-have candle accessory. All of our candles are complete with a pure cotton wick which also helps to minimise an uneven burn.
2. Allow a Full Melt Pool
On the first burn, let the wax melt all the way to the edges of the jar. This creates a smooth, even “melt pool” and prevents tunnelling - where wax builds up around the sides and goes to waste. With the right care, our refillable candles burn evenly from start to finish.
3. Burn in 2–4 Hour Intervals
For the best results, burn your candle for 2–4 hours at a time. Shorter burns can cause tunnelling, while much longer burns may overheat the jar. Think of it as giving your candle, and yourself, the perfect window of time to pause, reset, and relax.
4. Keep Away from Draughts
Candles burn best in calm, still air. Place your candle on a heat-resistant surface, away from open windows or fans, to keep the flame steady and avoid uneven melting.
5. Extinguish
To extinguish a candle, ideally use a wick snuffer. Try to avoid blowing out the flame as this can spray the wax and create soot.
6. Reuse or Refill Your Jar
One of the things that makes Wick & Wist candles truly special is that they’re designed with sustainability in mind. Our jars aren’t just beautiful — they’re reusable. Once your candle is finished, you can easily clean the jar and repurpose it for storage, flowers, or as a tealight holder.
Better still, our refillable candles mean you can enjoy your favourite scents again and again, without waste. Simply pop in a new candle refill and continue your ritual of calm.
7. Store with Care
Keep your candle in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, to protect the fragrance and prevent the wax from softening and replace the lid to keep your candle dust free.
Why Candle Care Matters
With the right care, your candle doesn’t just last longer, it also burns more cleanly, safely, and beautifully. When you invest in sustainable candles, caring for them properly ensures you get the most from every flame, every fragrance, and every mindful moment.
Explore our collection of hand-poured, refillable candles and discover how little luxuries can be both sustainable and soulful.