Why You Should Always Trim Your Candle Wick: A Simple Trick for a Cleaner Burn
Have you ever noticed this symbol on your candles?
It's often used with an inch or cm description as well to clarify how much of the wick should be cut off.
But why should you even trim a candle wick?
Simply said: A wick is most likely made out of cotton or wood (but other versions exist as well).
When you burn your candle and blow it out or use a candle snuffer (just like this one) you'll be left with an uneven wick - often due to mushrooming.
It' s not quite the same with wooden wicks but you can imagine that they also do not burn as evenly. It's fine while the candle is burning but when you want to light up your candle you want the wick to be as even as possible.
So why would you want to trim it? There are several good reasons for it:
- It will allow the wick to burn evenly next time which will support the most ideal performance of your candle
- Without old pieces e.g. the mushroom shown above, there are less chances of smoke coming up from the wick ensuring a clean burn
- There is no risk of the wick not burning in the first place or the flame extinguishing on its own
- The wick will also not be big enough to cause a big flame minimizing the risk for fire hazards
What should you use to trim your candle with?
Honestly there is no right or wrong here - only simpler and safer ways. The most obvious choice can simply be a pair of scissors or (less safe of course) a knife. You can even just use your fingers to twist a part of the wick off (only when wick is cool of course!!)
The reason why we as candle maker recommend wick trimmers like this is because they have a round shape where you cut your wick which automatically collects the old wick and makes it easy to dispose it - it's obviously also more safe to use than a knife and depending on your candle your pair of scissors might not reach the wick as easy.
How much should you trim your candle wick?
The rule of thumb is that you should trim your wick to about 1/4 inches or 1/2cm. As the wick is small, the flame will not be very high - just enough to heat up the wax so you can enjoy your candle safe and happy!
Which wick trimmer should I use?
There isn't really a brand that you HAVE TO use. If I were you I would go for a set like this (it's the same one we have) since you'll have two ways to safely turn off your candle & trim it before using it again. It's also where we keep our beloved electric lighter (available on Amazon too) - with everything in one place you won't need to remember to trim your wick, it will simply become second nature :)
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