Luxury candles offer a beautiful and comforting ambiance that can instantly make any space feel cozy and inviting – but getting the most out of these fragrant delights isn’t always easy. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for the wick to become buried or too short, making it difficult to light or relight.
Whether it’s an issue with the size or quality of the wick, or because you trimmed it too short or didn’t trim at all, there are a variety of reasons why your candle wicks may be too short. Knowing how to prevent these issues and how to fix them when they arise is key for having long-lasting candles.
Thankfully, there are simple ways to remedy this issue so you can enjoy your natural scented soy candles for as long as possible.
Before we go further into the specifics, let’s discuss why your candle wick may have become too short. That way, you can be more mindful about it in the future.
Poor burning behavior can be the cause of a candle’s deformity. Fortunately, it’s not only possible to repair it but also one can prevent this from happening again in the future by being mindful of how they burn their candles.
- Keeping your candle wicks trimmed is an essential part of proper candle care. Trimming your wicks regularly ensures that they stay at the right length and shape, which in turn helps to prevent a range of issues such as Buried or Too Short Wick. By trimming your wick once every 3-4 hours, you can help ensure that your candles burn cleanly and brightly while also extending their life.
- Trimming a wick too short can lead to a number of problems with your candle, such as a Buried or Too Short Wick problem. To avoid this, wait until the wax has cooled before trimming your wick to a length that’s between ⅛ to ¼ of an inch. Doing so will ensure that your candle burns safely and evenly for hours on end.
- Tunneling is a common problem for many candle users. It occurs when only a small area of wax around the wick melts as your candle burns, creating a small hole instead of allowing the entire surface of the wax to melt evenly. Fortunately, there are easy steps you can take to prevent tunneling and ensure that your candles burn properly.
How to Fix a Candle Wick That is Buried or Too Short
Before we start, try to light the wick. Use long wand candle lighters and extra-long matches to hold the flame directly on top of the wick for up to 30 seconds, melting some of the surrounding wax and creating a safe, easy-to-light wick.
Wonderful! You managed to light the wick.
If you are unable to light the wick, don’t worry as there are ways to revive a buried wick and get your candle burning again.
Step 1: Melt the wax around the wick.
Melt the wax around the wick with either a heat gun, blow dryer or long wand.
When you notice that the wick of your candle is leaning, bent or curved, don’t continue to heat the wax. Instead, turn it off and proceed to step 2.
If you find that the wick on your candle was cut too low, continue to melt it until there’s an even layer of wax liquid on the surface. After that, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Dig out a bit of wax around it
To start off, you have to take out the wax surrounding the wick. The method used is dependent on if the wick is too short (over-trimmed) or if it has been submerged in the wax (tilted, bent, or curled).
If the wick is buried, use tweezers or a cotton bud to reposition it until the top of the wick is above the wax surface. Maintain this position while the wax cools.
Step 3: LIght the Candle
To complete the process, your candle needs to be relit and the top layer of wax must melt evenly until all sides have an even pool of wax. This will reset the candle’s ‘memory’ and allow it to perform optimally.
Our guideline is that a 1 inch-diameter should be lit for up to an hour. Depending on the size, it might take 30 minutes to a couple of hours.
