Burning a candle might seem like the most straightforward thing to do. However, there are a few tricks which will ensure your candle burns beautifully for as long as possible.
1) The first flame
The first time you light a candle is always very important as it will determine how evenly the wax melts. Your first burn should be two to three hours at a minimum to develop a top-melted layer for the candle. In general, be sure to allow the candle to burn at least one even layer of wax before snuffing it out.
2) Trim Trim Trim
The rule of thumb is to always trim the wick to be 0.5 cm tall every time you burn the candle. This will help ensure a cleaner and more even burn by not allowing a mushroom to form or large flames to consume the wick (so that wicks full of wax are a trauma of the past).
3) Three’s a party, four’s a bore
Always keep an eye on your candle when it burns and try not to let it burn for longer than four hours each time - it can cause the wick to have a mushroom appearance and it's susceptible to produce a dangerously large flame.
4) Leave no wick behind
All wicks were created equal. Don’t go messing with the balance of the candle world by lighting just one wick and not the other ones. Always use all wicks at the same time to avoid having any of them drowned in melted wax or creating uneven wax pools.
And, let’s not forget the basics.
5) Place your candle on a flat and stable surface
On top of being dangerous, the wax will melt in irregular patterns. Also, don't move a burning candle unless absolutely necessary (like Brad Pitt knocking on your door in the middle of a blackout -in this case, get the candle, walk slowly but get over there!)
6) Avoid burning a candle in windy areas
Place your candle in a breeze-free location, away from fans, air conditioning units, open windows, and any other source of moving air. This will prevent your candle from burning unevenly, and in terms of safety, a gentle breeze is enough to blow a piece of paper directly into the flame so be careful. We wouldn’t want you burning the house down now, would we? Unless it’s your exe’s. Although we’d suggest leaving it to karma. What goes around comes back around, as wise Justin used to say.