How-To Redoux: Candle Maintenance

The 529 candle brings summer nostalgia right to your home, and that’s a feeling we want to last. We’ve compiled a brief guide to help you get the most out of yours!

1. Burn evenly the first time lighting your candle (and every time after that, too).

By letting the candle wax melt all the way to the edges of the vessel, you ensure an even burn and consistently smooth top layer. This avoids tunneling-- when the sides of the candle are higher than the middle.

2. Before each new light of your candle, trim the wick to ¼ of an inch.

The black bubbles that tend to accumulate towards the top of the wick can cause overheating and smoking, resulting in damage to the candle container or a “burnt” smell. Eyebrow scissors or nail clippers allow for more precision! Taking this extra step creates mindfulness of the product and heightens the experience of our signature citrus scent.

3. What if my candle keeps tunneling? 

Unmelted wax on the sides of your candle represents hours of divine fragrance and burn time.

Try one of these to revive your product:

• If you catch the tunnel early and it isn’t very deep, burn your candle until pesky wax on the side has fully melted. It should look like a level swimming pool of wax.
• Use the high heat setting of a powerful hair dryer – just hold the airflow over the top of the candle until the side layers of wax have melted and smoothed.
• Try to keep your candle away from drafts of air: open windows, fans, and AC or heating units.

Moving forward, burn the candle for roughly one hour for every inch the candle is wide. This is a good rule of thumb to make sure you melt the entire top layer with each burn.  

4. What should I do when I can no longer light the wick?

If you end up with leftover wax, you can use an electric candle warmer to release the scent without a flame! They are intended for container candles and gently heat the wax from below. Another option is a tealight oil burner. These require removing the unmelted wax from the vessel and placing it on top of the burner. Then, you’ll place a lit tea light into the base which heats and melts the wax above it, allowing the scent to escape into the room. 

Lastly, repurpose the glass! Some of our favorite ways include using it as a drinking cup, flower vase, paint brush cleaner, or succulent pot :) 

We know that all good things must come to an end, but we hope this how-to helps you maximize your relationship with the 529 candle.

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