Updated: Mar. 21, 2024
There's a quick fix to prevent candle tunneling, aka uneven wax melt. Here's what to do!
It’s ugly, it’s frustrating and it’s definitely happened to all of us at least once: candle tunneling. If you’re a big Christmas candle burner like I am, you’ve encountered a candle or two that just refuses to melt all the way around. That’s the tunneling part—a solid wall of wax around the inside of the candle jar that just won’t go away.
It usually happens when you don’t allow a new candle to burn long enough the first time you use it. It can also happen if a wick isn’t large enough or it’s off-center.
How to Fix Candle Tunneling
Here are a few quick and easy tips to resolve this annoying issue.
Use Aluminum Foil
My favorite kind of fix is one that only requires items I have in my house. Take some aluminum foil and wrap it around the outside edge of the candle. The trick here is to make sure the foil reaches over the tunneled wax. You’ll also want to keep an open center so the flame can continue to burn as usual.
The aluminum foil allows the flame to stay even and continuously radiate heat, and the foil also helps to retain heat to help melt the leftover wax. Ellie Martin Cliffe, our executive editor, tested this and swears by its magic. “I tried the aluminum foil trick over the weekend and it worked beautifully,” she says.
Buy a Candle Topper
Courtesy Jane Licwinko
Candle toppers are cute, open metal lids that often have intricate designs. Like the aluminum foil, they help keep the flames protected from wind and drafts so the wax can melt evenly. On top of that, they’re so adorable. You can grab Christmas-themed ones like this snowman design or this snowflake design as well as everyday designs like this beautiful scalloped topper.
It’s important to note that candle toppers work best on larger candles with a single wick.
How to Prevent Candle Tunneling
There are a few ways to prevent tunneling and help your candles last longer.
Remember to trim your wicks regularly and keep candles away from drafty windows. When using a candle for the first time, remember to let the candle burn for long enough that the entire top of the candle melts into an even pool (usually several hours). Three-wick candles tend to burn the best and shouldn’t have an issue with tunneling.
Now that you’ve got all the info you need, treat yourself to a new Christmas scent this holiday season. You deserve it!
FAQs
Wrap the candle in tin foil – For deeper tunnels, try using the aluminum foil method. Wrap tin foil around the candle's base and upper edge, leaving an opening at the top for a flame to burn safely. The tin foil concentrates the heat around the candle, helping to melt the outermost wax.
Why do you put foil around a candle? ›
Use aluminum foil to fix a candle that has started to tunnel
Poke a hole in the middle at least an inch wide so that the flame gets enough oxygen to burn. Allow the candle to burn long enough to melt the wax to the edge of the container. The aluminum foil helps hold in enough heat to melt the entire surface of wax.
How to get a candle to stop tunneling? ›
To prevent tunneling, all you need to do is burn your candle long enough each time so that the entire top surface of wax is melted. This is especially important the first time you burn your candle! How long that takes depends mostly on the size of the candle.
How to get rid of memory rings on candles? ›
You can fix a tunneled candle by wrapping a piece of aluminum foil around the edges and simply letting it burn. Make sure the foil hangs over the built-up wax areas, but leave an opening in the center so the wick can still burn properly.
What happens when you cover the burning candle answer? ›
supply of oxygen is cut off.
Does covering with foil prevent burning? ›
It's always a great idea to cover your dishes with aluminum foil while cooking at high temperatures in the oven. It protects your food from drying out or burning and helps keep in the heat and moisture, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal. Loosely covering your dish with foil can prevent uneven browning while baking.
Why wont my candle burn to the edge on the first burn? ›
Incorrect wick size: A very common cause of tunnelling is the usage of a wick too small for the volume of wax or the width of your vessel. A wick which is too small may, despite its best efforts, not have enough power to burn the wax from edge to edge.
Can you microwave a candle to fix tunneling? ›
Set your oven to 80 Degrees Celsius or 175 Fahrenheit. Once hot, place your candle in the oven for 2 minutes. This will evenly melt the top of your candle and return it to its smooth, and even former glory! NOTE: Do not put your candles in a microwave oven!
What to do with a candle when the wick is gone? ›
In the event that the wick is actually broken and impossible to use again, consider some DIY options so that you can continue using your candle as normal. Jones recommends using twine or even tightly rolled-up newspaper in place of the wick as makeshift alternatives.
Why do my homemade candles sink in the middle? ›
So imagine the liquid wax starting to harden and "sticking" to the edge of the candle jar and the wick. Meanwhile, the still-cooling liquid wax under the surface that's not touching the edge of the jar or the wick continues to shrink and dip down, eventually forming a cavity as it hardens. And voila, a sinkhole.
Particularly for their first burn, candles are supposed to burn for at least one hour per inch of container diameter. So, if you bought a new candle that is 3 inches in diameter, you should burn your candle for at least 3 hours (though not more than 4 at a time).
What happens when you put glass on top of a candle? ›
The burning candle heats the air above it, including the air that goes into the glass. Once the glass is standing on the plate, the burning candle uses up all the available oxygen in the glass, then goes out.
What happens if you put a lid on a lit candle? ›
Putting the lid on a burning candle deprives the flame of the oxygen it needs to keep going. A candle flame is essentially a continuous combustion reaction between oxygen and hydrocarbons (wax) to form water vapor, carbon dioxide, and heat.
What happens when you put a jar over a candle? ›
Putting the jar over the candle keeps oxygen from outside the jar from getting in. The reaction can only use the oxygen that is already in the jar. So, when that oxygen is used up, the reaction can't keep going. Running out of oxygen makes the flame go out.
How long do you leave foil on candles? ›
The easiest way: Use a aluminium foil wrap.
This will create a heat barrier that will help melt the wax evenly and prevent tunneling. Make sure to remove the foil after 15 to 20 minutes or when the wax pool reaches the edge of the candle.
Why does covering a candle put it out? ›
Putting the lid on a burning candle deprives the flame of the oxygen it needs to keep going. A candle flame is essentially a continuous combustion reaction between oxygen and hydrocarbons (wax) to form water vapor, carbon dioxide, and heat.
Courtesy Jane Licwinko