Embrace the zen of eco-conscious candle care

Wooden Wick Candle Care 101

In a world filled with hustle and bustle, self-care has never been more critical. And what better way to indulge in relaxation than with the gentle flicker of an eco-conscious wooden wick candle? At Nancy Dianne, we believe in creating more than just a beautifully scented atmosphere - we strive to ignite your senses while remaining mindful of our planet's well-being.

In this blog, we will take you on a journey through the art of properly caring for your eco-conscious wooden wick candle. Each post will unveil the secrets that will help you unleash the maximum potential of your candle, enhancing your environment and bringing a touch of tranquility to your daily life.

When lighting up your luxurious wooden wick candle for the first time, burn it for 2-3  hours to allow the top of the wax to melt evenly. This will prevent tunneling in the future. Always remember to trim your wooden wick to 3mm-5mm before each use. Lastly, do not burn your candle for more than four hours at a time. Never burn a candle all the way through. Discontinue use when there is 1.5 cm approximately of wax remaining. At this point you can wash the tin and reuse and/or recycle. 

If your wood wick isn’t staying lit, it could mean that your wick is either too long or short. Don’t panic! Simply trim your wick for a proper burn. The easiest way to do this is by pinching off the top burnt bits with your fingernails or using a wick trimmer. To ensure a crisp burn, trim the wooden wick before each burn. We recommend a length of approximately 3-5 mm.

If you experience your wooden wick flickering, dwindling in size and/or burning out, there’s a chance there may be a ‘flaw’ in the timber of the wick. These are not always visible. Remember, no two wood wicks are identical). Keep in mind that some wooden wicks can take a few goes to get started. A few relights may be required. We’ve had some instances where it has taken between 3-5 tries.

Tunneling occurs when only a small portion of the wax around the wooden wick melts while the candle is burning. For example, your candle can tunnel if the flame is extinguished before it reaches its optimal burn time, leaving a literal vertical ‘tunnel’ around the outside. This leftover wax means your candle won’t achieve its maximum burn potential and can become difficult to light up later on. Of course, we never want this to happen to our customers, so please ensure you are burning your candle until the entire top layer is liquid wax. This way you ensure the wax sits evenly with no tunneling occurring.

If you have accidentally tunneled your candle, don’t stress! There’s an easy fix to this. You simply need to create a foil wrap around the sides and top of the tin, then poke a hole to light the wick. This process will create an ‘oven’ inside the candle for the edges to melt down. As a result, we recommend you leave your candle lit until all the wax  has melted to the edge; as this forms a memory ring for the next burn.

Thinking about reusing our candle tin after it is done burning? Great! We’re all about upcycling and reusing at Nancy Dianne. First, you need to remove any additional wax on the inside of the tin. You can do this by heating up your tins in low simmering water to melt the wax. Once all the wax has melted, discard the wick and add a little bit of water so it sets to a firm block. Next, remove the block of wax with a fork, then wash the inside with soap and water. Use a hairdryer when removing the label. I hope you found this information helpful. 

-NANCY DIANNE/FOUNDER/CEO

P.S We’d love to see how you style your #NANCYDIANNECANDLES. Tag us on Instagram (@nancydianne_)