You bought a really nice candle. Now what? How do you care for your candles to make the most of them?
1- Trim the wicks! The longer the wick, the more ignition it needs to stay lit. Wax is that ignition. When your wick is too long, it uses the wax up faster. Get the 50 hours of burn time you deserve and keep your wick trimmed.
How to trim your wick: You can use a wick trimmer (objectively the most fancy way of maintaining your wicks), break off the charred bits with your fingers (the least expensive way, but also the least effective - I find that the wick is still longer than .25" when done this way), or use a nail trimmer.
2- Burn for no more than four hours. The hotter the wax, the faster it burns. Get the 50 hours of burn time you deserve from your candles.
3- Put a lid on it. No, seriously. Keep your candle free of dust and debris. Put the lid or dust cover on after every burn. Wait for the wax to harden if you have a dust cover.
4- Rotate your candles. The harder the wax, the longer it takes to burn. Give your candle a day or two off in between relights so the wax can not just solidify, but harden again. Your candles will last longer and you'll fall in the love with the fragrance all over again after some time apart.
5- Use a heat-safe coaster. This will absorb some of the heat produced by the flame and keep the vessel cooler. The cooler the vessel, the cooler the wax, the slower the candle will burn.
Ok, go back to enjoying your candles. This isn't a tip on how to make your candle last longer, but a tip on how to enjoy them. We know a lot of people buy candles and never light them because the moment never feels special enough or they're waiting for the perfect moment to enjoy them. Right now is good enough. Enjoying the candle is reason enough to light it. Also, our candles are made without preservatives in them, so you should use them up within a year to 18 months of your purchase or the ingredients can go rancid.
Go trim your wicks!