Candle Care | How to Fix Tunneling

A few customers asked about ways to get the most out of their candle, so we wanted to give you some tips.   

Have you ever noticed leftover wax along the edges of your candle once it’s burned down? It looks like someone cut out the middle and left the sides? 

Yeah, that’s called tunneling. 

Tunneling is when only the wax closest to the candle’s wick melts. When the candle has burned down, the center will be gone but there’s still some wax left along the sides. This is a common issue and can be managed. 

Now, when you get your next candle, trim the wick by about a 1/4inch. You should do this before every burn to avoid uneven burning, flaring, or dripping, things like that. And make sure to keep the candle away from open windows, vents, and anything that could cause a draft.  

When the flame is blown around, the wax won’t burn evenly and your candle will start tunneling. 

Oh, and each time you burn your candle, let it burn for two to three hours ideally. No more than four. Actually, your initial candle burn should be two to three hours to melt the first layer of the candle completely. This will create a wax memory and the candle will continue burning evenly going forward.  

When burning a candle, if you’re looking to really take in the scent, close all the doors and windows in the room for twenty to thirty minutes. And never burn your candle all the way down. You should leave around 1/2inch of unmelted wax so the glass doesn’t overheat and possibly shatter.

The last thing is to always put your candle out with a snuffer. You might be thinking, “Why can’t I just blow out the candle?” 

Yeah, that could work. But when you use a snuffer, you avoid unnecessary smoking and prevent wax from splattering.

Now, if your candle has already tunneled, there’s a way to fix it. 

Once you’ve trimmed the wick and removed any ash, use a hairdryer to melt the wax on the top surface. Don’t stop until the wax along the edges and across the surface has melted.

Then, light the candle again, and let it burn for at least thirty minutes. Afterwards, let the candle cool down and harden. After that, your candle is ready to go.