Candle care
Burn it properly.
A candle is a small machine. Treat it right and a Folio Home 9 oz gives you 50–60 hours; treat it wrong and it tunnels, smokes, and dies young. Here's everything it needs from you.
The first burn matters most
Soy wax has a memory. Let the first burn reach a full melt pool — liquid wax edge to edge — before you blow it out. For the 9 oz that's about 2–3 hours; for the 4 oz, about 1–2. If you short the first burn, every later burn stops at the same ring, and that's how tunneling starts.
Trim the wick. Every time.
Before each burn, trim the wick to 1/4 inch. A long wick makes a tall flame, and a tall flame makes soot, smoke, and a fast-dying candle. Pinch off the burnt tip with your fingers or a trimmer — it takes five seconds.
How to fix tunneling
If a tunnel has already formed:
- Foil method: wrap aluminum foil around the top of the jar, leaving a small opening over the flame. Burn for 1–2 hours — the trapped heat melts the walls back down.
- Long burn: give it one patient 3-hour session. Often that's enough to reset the melt pool.
- Scrape: if wax is stranded high on the glass, gently push it toward the melt pool while warm.
Placement
- Keep the candle away from drafts, vents, and ceiling fans — moving air makes the flame dance, soot, and burn unevenly.
- Burn on a heat-safe surface, away from anything flammable.
- Keep it in sight. Never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep it away from children and pets.
- Space multiple candles at least 3 inches apart.
When to stop
- Stop burning when 1/2 inch of wax remains — burning to the bottom can overheat the glass.
- Don't burn for more than 4 hours at a stretch. Let it cool, trim, relight.
- When it's done, the amber jar cleans up beautifully — warm soapy water, and it becomes a catch-all, a vase, a pencil cup.
Cold throw vs. hot throw
Unlit, you smell the top notes — the lightest, most volatile part of the scent. That's the cold throw. Lit, the heat opens the heart and base notes into the full composition — the hot throw. Judge a candle by the lit burn, never by the sniff in the jar. If a candle smells faint unlit, give it a proper first burn before deciding.
Storage
Store lidded, away from direct sunlight and heat. The black lid isn't decoration — it keeps dust out and the scent in. A candle stored well smells as good on day 90 as day one.
Quick reference
- First burn: full melt pool, edge to edge
- Wick: 1/4 inch, trimmed before every burn
- Session: 1–3 hours is the sweet spot, 4 max
- Stop at: 1/2 inch of wax remaining