How to Trim a Candle Wick

Your candles will last longer and burn cleaner if you trim the candle wick. It is very easy to do and should be done every time you light the candle.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sharp knife
• Wick cutter, nail clippers, scissors or wire nippers
• Candle lighter or matches
• Candle snuffer

1. Remove the small bump of wax that's around the candle wick before you relight it. Just use a sharp knife or wick cutter.

2. Trim the candle wick to 1/4 inch for an unscented candle, before you light it. You can use a nail clipper, scissors, wire nippers or wick cutter to trim the wick

3. Light your candle and let it burn for 2 to 3 hours.

4. Extinguish the flame with a candle snuffer and allow the candle wick to cool.

5. Cut the wick back down to a length of 1/4 inch above the wax.

6. Relight the candle and burn it for another 2 to 3 hours and repeat the process of extinguishing the flame and trimming the wick.

Tips & Warnings

• The wick length is important to the candle because it needs to have oxygen to burn correctly.
• Each candle is different, so use the 1/4-inch wick measurement as a guide. Some candles may need a wick length of 1/8 inch and others may need a ½ inch length. Watch your candles and adjust the wick length according to how the candle burns.
• A wick that is too long will produce carbon black when it burns. The carbon black will stick to the jar of the candle, your walls or ceiling.
• A frayed wick that is unraveling will cause the candle to smoke.