ASK MARTHA
(Taken from Martha Stewart Living - December, 2012)
Q: "How can I ensure that my pillar candles stay lit longer? Shortly after I light them, the wick burns down into the candle, and the melted wax smothers the flame."
Pat Mason, Tampa Bay, Florida
A: "When a pillar-style candle burns, the flame melts the wax closest to the wick first. If you burn the candle long enough - it takes about an hour for a one-inch-diameter pool to develop-the wax will eventually melt almost to the edge of the candle, which is the desired result. If you blow out the flame prematurely, a well will form around the wick, and the next time you try to light it, the pool of melted wax will have hardened and submerged the wick."
"For subsequent lightings, you must let the wax melt to the perimeter again. Otherwise this could lead to "tunneling," in which the candle burns down the center, leaving a wax shell. Repeated tunneling causes a series of rings to form, and the tiers begin to look like stadium seating."
"If you simply can't keep your candle burning for that long, consider cutting out the tunneled parts with a warm butter knife. The wax should be warm enough to cut through but not hot. Slide the knife from the side through to the wick, and then cut all the way around. You should then be able to lift up just the excess wax. This will give you a flat surface, which will allow the candle to burn evenly."
"To lengthen the life span of your pillar candle, you should also keep the wick short. Trim it to an eighth to a quarter of an inch (you can use a wick trimmer or scissors, holding the candle upside down to keep the clippings from falling into the wax). Why do this? First, a long wick will produce too large a flame, which can be a fire hazard. Second, it will consume more melted wax than the flame can efficiently burn, leading to a lot of smoke and soot."
From Candle Corners: Less smoke & soot is created when burning natural soy wax candles!
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