How to care for your candles

YOUR little guide
to make the most of your candles

Find tips on preventing and fixing tunnelling of your candles, the causes and remedies of black soot from your candles, how to protect your candle and more.

A lit candle labeled 'Maison & Muse' with a scent called 'Marilyn' on a gray surface.

How to Start your candle

The first burn - how to avoid tunnelling oF your candle

Trim the wick to 5mm and burn until the wax pool reaches the edge of the candle, right to the glass jar. Then distinguish your candle and let the wax set. This sets the memory of your candle and allows for subsequent burns to melt to the edge, preventing tunnelling. This may take a little longer on the first burn.

SETTING YOUR VIBE

Our sticker is conveniently removable, so you can choose to peel it away and leave the neutral off white glass shine in your space, or leave it on to showcase your favourite candle. Alternatively you can spin it around for a half-way point, with a subtle brand mark along the bottom edge. Either way, we’ve designed our candles with considered features to suit any home interior scheme or style!

A white Maison & Muse candle labeled 'Diana, Sweet Pea & Peony, 350g,' resting on a pink book with black text reading 'Yves Saint Laurent,' next to a white dried flower arrangement.

How to carE for your candle

Common practices

  • Trim wick to 5mm before lighting

  • Extinguish candles with a candle snuffer to avoid the spread of black soot

  • Place burning candles 10cm apart

  • Keep our black embossed lids on your candles when completely cooled and not in use. This helps keep dust from contaminating your candle.

  • Place candle on a flat surface so that the wax melts evenly

  • Avoid draughts to prevent uneven flames & smoke

  • Place on a heat-resistant surface

  • Do not burn for more than 3 hours at a time

  • Do not burn below the last 1cm left of wax remaining

A hand lifting the black lid off a white candle labeled "Maison & Muse, Whiteway, Guava & Elderflower, 350g."

common CANDLE issues

  • What is Tunnelling?

    This is when a candle leaves a rim of wax remaining as the candle burns. This won’t affect the scent of your candle, but can reduce the life of your candle as wax becomes wasted. This can also create smoking as the flame can choke.

    How to Prevent Tunnelling

    Make sure that on your first burn you melt the wax to the edge of the candle. This is because each burn afterwards will not melt beyond the initial pool of wax.

    How to fix Candle Tunnelling

    If your candle has only just begun to tunnel, try to melt the wax by either gently blowing with a warm hairdryer or create a cone of tinfoil around your candle, leaving an opening at the top. This helps to retain heat and melt the wax that has not burned around the edges.

  • What causes black soot to form?

    A smoking flame can cause black soot to gather on the sides of your candle. A small amount of smoke is normal on occasion, but any more can start to affect your candle.

    How to prevent soot from forming on your candles:

    1. Keep your candle clean
      Any dust/debris in your wax can catch and burn. Our candles come with an embossed black lid which is designed to protect you candle when it’s not in use.

    2. Keep the wick trimmed to 5cm
      A wick that is too long can create a larger flame that can flare, creating smoke. It can also mean that the flame is not correctly burning the wax, with only the wick burning and product smoke.

    3. Prevent candle tunnelling
      A tunnelling candle can affect airflow to the flame, disrupting the flame.

    4. Avoid draughts
      Draughts can cause the flame to flicker and change. Keep your candle in a sheltered area where the flame can be kept consistent and even.

    How to clean black soot from my candle:

    If some soot has formed, simply wipe gently with a wet wipe, paper towel or cloth.

  • In order to recycle your glass jar, you’ll need to remove any remaining wax left before placing in your recycling bin.

    Cleaning and repurposing your candle is also a great way to reuse our glass jars.

    How to remove leftover wax from your candle:

    1. Pour boiling water into the jar to about halfway

    2. Let the water cool completely.

    3. Scoop out the wax and pour out the water

    This process melts the last of the wax and brings it to the surface of the water, making it easy to slip out.

    How to clean the candle jar:

    Use wet wipes or a cloth to remove any remaining marks. You can also use a gentle dishwash liquid to help. Be careful not to scrape the sides of the jar as it can scratch and remove the off white colour.

    Repurpose the jar:

    Some ideas to repurpose your candle jar are:

    • Storing makeup remover pads

    • Keeping jewellery

    • Planting little succulents!

    We love to see how you repurpose your jars… send them through to us on our Instagram or TikTok @maisonandmuse