Candle Care & Safety

Candle Care: The Art of the Burn

Getting the most out of your San Tan candle is simple when you follow a few basic habits. Proper care ensures a cleaner burn, a longer-lasting fragrance, and a safer home environment.

The Golden Rules for Every Burn

• Trim the Wick: Before each lighting, trim your wick to 1/4 inch. This keeps the flame steady and prevents that pesky black soot or high, flickering flames that can damage your jar.
• The "First Burn" Rule: Your candle has a memory! During the first light, let the wax melt all the way to the edges of the jar (usually 2–3 hours). This creates a full "melt pool" and prevents tunneling, ensuring you don't waste wax on the sides of the container.
• Safety First: Never leave a burning candle unattended. Keep your candles away from drafts (like AC vents or open windows), and always place them out of reach of curious pets and little hands.

Pro-Tips for Longevity

• Burn Time Limits: Try not to burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time. After 4 hours, the wick can start to "mushroom" (creating a carbon build-up), which can cause the flame to become too large.
• The Right Spot: Place your candle on a heat-resistant surface and away from curtains, books, or anything flammable.
• Know When to Say Goodbye: When there is about 1/2 inch of wax left at the bottom, it is time to stop burning that candle. This prevents the glass from overheating and potentially cracking.
• Extinguish Safely: Instead of blowing your candle out, use a wick dipper or candle snuffer. This prevents smoke and keeps that lovely fragrance lingering in the room rather than the scent of a burnt wick.

Troubleshooting

• My candle is tunneling: If you didn't burn it long enough the first time, you can often fix it by wrapping a small piece of aluminum foil around the top edge of the jar (with a hole in the center for the flame) to reflect heat back into the wax.
• The wick is off-center: If the wick shifts after the wax has melted, carefully nudge it back to the center with a wick dipper or butter knife while the wax is still liquid.