DEATH OF A CANDLE: CASE NO. 010120

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Those who know you best would consider you a candle lover. Not only do you know the various brands, but also what fragrances are in season.

Despite your extensive knowledge, privately you have committed several cases of candle homicide, leaving metaphorical chalk lines in its wake. What's left of these lifeless candles is a bird's eye view of the bottoms of candle jars.

The (body) candle count is now up to six. You have suffered in silence asking, “When will it end?” More importantly, why is this the case? Sometimes you have a successful burn, whereas others you don’t. You keep your wicks trimmed. You never burn your candles near a draft. What else could be the cause?

We’re glad you’ve asked. An assessment of the evidence is a great place to start.

Upon examination, our candle sleuth noticed that your candle burned straight down the center leaving a ring of unmelted wax behind. You’d inadvertently compromised your candle’s memory. The diagnosis: tunneling.

Tunneling often occurs when a candle is extinguished before it has had an opportunity to create a full liquid pool. This is where a candle’s memory comes into play. When you burn your candle for the first time, you are training it on how it should burn for its lifetime.

By allowing the surface of the candle to completely liquefy from edge to edge, you help to prevent tunneling. The amount of time it takes to achieve this goal depends on the size of the wick and the size of the candle container.

On the contrary, extinguishing the wick’s flame before the candle has reached a full liquid pool, trains the candle to stop at this point each time it burns. Thus, creating a tunneling effect.

The moral of this mystery is that if you want better use of your candle, help facilitate its memory by using the handy tip provided to you in this post.

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If you live in the Midlands of South Carolina or plan to visit, be sure to sign up for one of our candle making workshops where you can create your own soy candles and learn more candle care tips. Click here to learn more.