Scented candles can change the tone of an indoor space with their mood lighting and a sense of warmth with their pleasing fragrance. People burn a scented candle for different reasons & occasions. Some burn them for a luxurious feeling, some use scented candle for sleeping, or aromatherapy, while others enjoy the mindful fragrance to calm their mind.
However, sometimes, we get into trouble with our favorite scented candles cast down from enjoying the comforting pleasures. If this problem happens with your candle, you might throw it away and get a new one. But wait!
The good news is that there are some simple tricks to fix a short candle wick that needs to be longer or buried quickly. Want to know how?
This article will talk about the tips & tricks to burn a candle wick with a too-short or buried candle in three easy steps.
Possible Reasons for a Too Short or Buried Candle Wick
There are two leading causes for too short candle wicks which are:
- Outside of your control
- Within your control
Reason 1
The first reason has a lot to do with the quality of a candle. If the wick of a candle is drowning, it means the wick size is small according to the candle’s container. If not then may be the wick quality needs to be better. This results in the wick burning quickly and falling into its wax pool. So, when the wax cools down & becomes stiff, it becomes challenging as the wick might need longer to relight or be buried inside the wax completely.
Your candle may have had a shipping or delivery issue if the wick was buried or too short. Candles can begin to melt within their box if left out on a porch or inside a truck on a scorching day, especially in the summer. The wick may then tilt or bend into the soft wax.
Candle wax tends to expand in response to abrupt temperature fluctuations, particularly in the winter. Additionally, it may make your wick appear shorter, making it harder to ignite your candle.
Reason 2
Another reason your candle wick is too short relates to how the candle was burned. Not only can you fix it, but you can also prevent the wick from becoming short in future with these simple steps.
Trim your Wick – As a crucial component of candle maintenance, trimming keeps the wick from curling and “mushrooming” throughout the burning process. To maintain a proper length and form, we advise cutting it once every three to four hours; otherwise, the wick may curl up or fall into the wax pool and become buried.
Trim the Wick Too Short – The next time you trim the wick to its length between ⅛ to ¼ an inch, ensure to let the wax cool down.
Candle Tunnel – When your candle burns, tunneling occurs when only a tiny portion of the wax around the wick melts, leaving a tiny hole rather than enabling it to melt uniformly throughout its whole surface. Your wick may become buried as the hole grows deeper due to melted wax filling it up.
3 Ways to Fix Short Candle Wick Easily
Have you just purchase a scented candle for meditation, or your room , but can’t light it due to buried or too short candle?
Here are 3-step solutions for fixing your short candle wick efficiently:
- Melt it
- Dig it
- Light it
However, before we jump on the solutions to fix the candle wick, make sure that you can light your wick considering these simple steps:
- Light a candle using an extra long match or long wand candle lighter by holding the flame directly on the wick for not more than 30 seconds. This will help to melt the surrounding wax quickly.
- Always try to hold the candle upside down whenever you light it. But remember to do this for only 10-15 seconds, as you don’t want to drip your wax on your hands.
So, if you can light the wick, that’s wonderful. Now, enjoy the pleasure of burning a candle for a few hours until the surface of the wax is melted again.
But if you can’t burn the candle of a buried wick, don’t worry; you can quickly fix it at home using some simple stuff.
Here’s what you have to do:
Step 1 – Melt It
The first step is to soften up the surrounding wax of the wick by melting it. You need to have a heat gun or a blow dryer to do this. If you don’t have any of these items, you can also use a long wand candle lighter that takes a bit longer.
Here’s what you have to do-
- Hold the heat gun or blow dryer over the candle’s wick until it melts.
- Once the wick becomes soft and movable, stop heating the wax if it is buried, tilted or curled.
- Keep melting the wax until you see an even layer of liquid wax on the surface.
Step 2 – Dig It
The next step after melting is to dig out the wick. However, this step depends on the wick length that is too short or if the wick is buried into the wax.
- If your wick was buried, gently push it back upright with tweezers or a Q-tip, ensuring it protrudes above the wax’s surface. Keep it like that until the wax cools.
- If you’re experiencing problems, wait until the wax turns opaque and try again; this is simpler when the wax is soft but not melted.
- If the wick is too short, remove part of the molten wax until the wick is between ⅛ and ¼ inch above the surface. To prevent a mess, you may alternatively dab and absorb the extra wax with a paper towel.
- Now, just let the wax to cool down.
Step 3 – Light It
The next step is to relight your candle and restore its “memory” by letting the top layer of wax melt evenly.
We do this to smooth out any markings from the second phase when we fished out the wick. Additionally, it keeps the candle from burrowing during subsequent burns, which might lead to another wick burying.
Depending on the size of your candle, this might take a few hours or as little as thirty minutes. Generally speaking, we recommend that a candle burn for one hour for every inch of diameter.
Wrapping Up – Fix a Short Candle Wick
Fortunately, you can quickly fix short candle wick without tossing your favourite candle out of your house. You must have some tools to dig out the wick without much trouble.
Murari Candles is one of India’s best-scented candle-making companies that deals in elegant and handcrafted luxury candles with a true sense of fragrance.
