5 Must-Know Tips for Burning Double-Wick Candles

When it comes to creating a relaxing environment within your home and providing rooms with a unique fragrance, there’s no substitute for the simple and elegant solution of scented candles. However, for the longest-lasting and cleanest burning candle, you want to acquire double-wick soy candles for your home. Not many people know the best way to use multi-wick candles, so here are five must-know tips for burning double-wick candles.

The First Burn

The first time you light your candle is always the most important, as it’ll set the “pace” of your candle and how evenly the wicks and wax burn and melt. For instance, your first burn should be three-four hours at a minimum to develop a top melted layer for the candle. After forming that top layer, you can burn the candle for shorter periods without worrying about the wax being uneven or leaving behind excessive residue.

Always Light Every Wick

Some people think that they only light one wick at a time to get the longest lifespan out of their candle. This is the opposite of what you should do. If you only light one, the other may become drowned in melted wax or create uneven wax pools that will eventually cause a mess.

Even Melting Pools

Candlemakers placed both wicks deliberately within the candle to ensure the wax heats and melts evenly. An uneven melt will make it difficult to use your candle in the future and may cause the candle to become unusable more quickly—especially if you drown one of the wicks.

Melted Wax Safety

After your candle has been lit for long enough that a pool of melted wax forms, don’t move the candle unless absolutely necessary. Moving, shifting, or carrying your candle can be a serious hazard, as that melted wax can easily burn if you spill over and onto your hands. Furthermore, you run the risk of accidentally dousing the flame and covering the wicks in wax, which will make them difficult to re-light.

When To Replace Your Candle

Perhaps the most important tip for burning double-wick candles is when to recognize that you need to replace them. Generally, the cut-off is when you’ve reached 1/8” of wax at the base. Trying to burn a candle without adequate wax will instead overheat the container and potentially warp it.