Candle Care Guide: Wick Trimming, First Burn & Cleaner Burning

These candle care tips are simple to follow: keep the wick controlled, give the wax enough time to melt evenly, and pay attention to the vessel while it burns. A few small habits can help a candle perform more consistently from the first light to the last.

These tips apply across our Foundations, Botanica, and other candle collections.

1. Trim the wick before each burn

Before lighting, trim the wick to approximately 1/4 inch, or follow the care instructions provided with your candle. Removing excess carbon helps keep the flame from becoming unnecessarily large and can reduce soot and uneven burning.

Worn Leather and Heathered Cashmere benefit from the same basic habit: start each session with a tidy wick.

2. Let the first burn establish an even melt pool

On the first burn, allow the melted wax to spread broadly across the surface before extinguishing the candle, while staying within the maximum burn time on the candle's care label. This helps discourage a narrow tunnel from forming around the wick.

If a candle has already tunneled, the safest approach is to return to the candle's care instructions rather than improvising with added materials around a live flame.

3. Keep the wax surface clean

Remove trimmed wick pieces, spent matches, and other debris before lighting. Foreign material in the melt pool can interfere with the flame and should not be left in the vessel.

4. Choose the right place to burn

Place the candle on a stable, heat-resistant surface away from drafts, vents, open windows, curtains, papers, and anything else that could catch fire. Keep burning candles out of reach of children and pets.

5. Respect the maximum burn time

Long sessions can overheat a vessel and allow a wick to grow too large. Follow the maximum continuous burn time printed on the candle's care label and let the vessel cool before relighting.

This matters just as much for a larger-format candle such as Coyote Spirit as it does for a smaller jar.

6. Extinguish thoughtfully

Use a candle snuffer if you have one, or extinguish the flame carefully without splashing hot wax. Never use water on a burning candle or hot glass vessel. Wait until the candle has cooled before moving it.

7. Know when the candle is finished

Do not burn a candle all the way to an empty vessel. Stop using it at the minimum remaining wax level specified on its care label. The remaining wax helps protect the vessel and the surface beneath it from excessive heat.

Candle care is part of the ritual

A clean burn does not require complicated equipment. Trim, place, watch, extinguish, and let the candle cool. Those few habits help you get more consistent performance while keeping the flame treated with the respect it deserves.

For a fuller safety checklist, read our guide to burning candles safely and mindfully.