You light a candle you have been looking forward to, you enjoy it for a while, and a few burns later you look down and find a little well around the wick with a thick wall of wax hugging the jar. That is tunneling, and if it has happened to you, please don't toss the candle. All that wax on the sides is still scent you paid for, and most tunneled candles can be brought back with a piece of foil and a little patience.
I make every Wicksy candle by hand here in Morrow, so I care a lot about you getting every one of those 45 to 50 hours. I already wrote up the everyday basics in Candle Care 101. This post is just for the rescue job, plus the couple of habits that keep you from needing it again.
Why a candle tunnels
Most of the time it goes back to burns that were too short. If you blow a candle out before the melted wax has reached the glass, the next burn tends to stay inside that same ring. Every short burn after that digs a little deeper, and the wick slowly sinks while the walls stay put.
Air can do it too. A flame that is getting pushed around by a fan or a vent melts one side and ignores the other. The National Candle Association says to keep candles away from open windows, fans and air vents, and that advice is as good for your wax as it is for your house.
The foil fix, step by step
Start with the candle cool and the wax hard. Trim the wick down to about a quarter inch. If the wick has sunk so far that you can barely reach it, carefully clear a little of the hard wax away from around it first so you have something to light.
Light the candle, then shape a piece of foil around the top of the jar so it sits over that wall of wax like a little hat. Leave a good sized hole in the middle, right above the flame. That hole is the most important part of the whole trick, because a flame needs air and it will go out if you close it in. Keep the foil up and away from the flame so it can't dip down and catch.
Now stay in the room and let it work. The foil holds the heat in and bounces it back at the wax on the sides. Give it an hour or so and check on it. You are looking for the top of the candle to go smooth and level, with melted wax all the way out to the glass.
When it gets there, take the foil off carefully, since it will be hot, then blow the candle out and leave it where it is. Don't carry the jar anywhere while the wax is liquid. Let it cool and harden in place and you should have a nice flat top again.
A really deep tunnel may not level out in one go. If that is what you have got, let it cool all the way and do it again another day instead of leaving it lit all afternoon. And if you are already down near the bottom of the jar, skip the rescue. The National Candle Association says to stop burning when half an inch of wax remains, so at that point the candle has done its job and it is time to plant your seed kit.
How to keep it from happening again
The first burn sets the tone for the whole candle. Plan on lighting it when you know you will be home for a while, and let it go until the melted wax reaches the glass all the way around. On one of our 9oz jars that is usually somewhere in the 2 to 4 hour range. I would not go past four.
Your playlist can help here. Every label has a code that opens a playlist that runs about two hours, so on that first burn, press play, and when the music stops, take a look at the wax. If it has reached the edge you are good. If it hasn't, keep it going a little longer. After that first burn, the end of the playlist is a good sign to blow it out.
The other habit is the boring one. Trim the wick to a quarter inch before every burn and keep the candle somewhere the air is still. That is really all there is to it.
If you want to practice on something cozy, this is the time of year for it. Chilly Nights is vanilla bean, caramel and clove over amber and smoky woods, and Cocoa Cravings is vanilla, hazelnut and chocolate. Both are the kind of candle you want to light when you have got a whole evening at home, which is exactly what a good first burn needs. You can see the rest of our candles here.
And if you are ever stuck with a stubborn jar, stop by the shop at the Morrow Arts Center and tell me what yours is doing. I like a good candle mystery.
Happy burning, friends.
Nathan
Sources: National Candle Association, Candle Safety Tips and Apartment Therapy on the tin foil method.
