Have you ever found that there are black soot marks around the rim of your scented candle container? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that this is a common and preventable condition so don’t worry.
First of all, here’s the science bit behind this problem. When you light your candle, the flame gradually melts the wax next to the wick, and this melted wax is drawn up through the wick by the flame. If the wick is too long or there’s a draught in the room, the ‘heat to fuel’ ratio will not be right, which will lead to incomplete combustion and cause excessive black soot.
The good news is there are some simple things you can do to prevent your beautiful candle becoming sooty.
Keeping the candle wick nicely trimmed to a maximum of 5mm between burns is the most effective way to prevent this problem. Trimming just before each burn when the wax has hardened is the best time to do this.
Keep your candles away from draughts such as open windows. The draught pulls the wick and the air pressure around the wick in different directions which causes the soot to be created.
Always try to keep the wick in the centre of the candle container. Do this when the wax is still liquid just after you’ve extinguished the candle.
If this all comes a bit too late, and you already have a layer of black soot around your candle container, don’t worry! A quick wipe with a soapy damp cotton cloth will get rid of it.
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