On a chilly winter evening after spending all day preparing your home for the holidays, it’s nice to light a candle to enjoy a pleasant scent and flickering glow. But what if your candle wick is too short to burn properly? Don’t toss the candle just yet — with these tips, you can give your favorite scented candle a second chance!
How to Prevent Short Candle Wicks
The best way to ensure a wick never gets too short is to burn the candle long enough to form a uniform pool of melted wax (but no longer than four hours). This prevents “tunneling,” or excess wax buildup on the side of the jar, which could melt during future burns and potentially drown the wick.
How to Fix a Candle Wick That’s Too Short
Even if you allow the candle to burn long enough, wicks can become too short for other reasons. Perhaps you trimmed it too far by accident, or it came that way from the store. It’s also possible for the wick to break off while hot and brittle. A manufacturer defect may even cause a thin wick to remain small and short every time you light the candle.
Fortunately, you have a few options for fixing a candle wick that’s too short:
- Light the wick and let it burn for 20 to 30 minutes. Check the flame height occasionally to see if the problem works itself out.
- If the flame remains weak, blow out the candle and pour the wax it melted onto a paper plate. Once it cools, dispose of the wax and plate in the trash. Alternatively, you can soak up the liquid wax with a paper towel or cotton swab (after the candle is extinguished, of course).
- The newly formed indent in the wax exposes more of the wick. Relight the candle and check it after 20 to 30 minutes. If everything looks good, let the candle burn all the way to the edges before blowing it out again.
- If the wick is too short even to light, melt a bit of the wax with a heat gun and pour it onto a paper plate. You can also scrape out room-temperature wax using a butter knife to expose the wick so you can light it.
How to Trim Candle Wicks to the Right Length
It’s also possible to have a candle wick that’s too long. Burning a candle without trimming the wick between uses could cause a dangerously large flame. It also increases the amount of soot that forms when the candle burns. That’s why you should always examine the wick length and trim it if necessary before lighting the candle.
When the wax has cooled to room temperature, cut the wick with scissors or a wick trimmer to the proper length of 1/4 to 1/8 inch. Discard the cut portion of the wick in the trash before lighting. Be careful not to cut the candle wick too short, or you’ll need to use the tips above to fix it!
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FAQs
If the wick is too short even to light, melt a bit of the wax with a heat gun and pour it onto a paper plate. You can also scrape out room-temperature wax using a butter knife to expose the wick so you can light it.
How to fix a wick that is too short? ›
When your wick is too short but you can get it to light, do so and allow it to burn for at least 20 minutes or until the entire uppermost wax layer melts. If the wick remains too short, put the candle out, pour the liquid wax onto your paper plate, and let it harden. Light the wick and try again.
How to extend a wick? ›
To extend a short wick, carefully melt some of the surrounding wax with a heat gun. Then, use a spoon or a paper towel to remove some of the melted wax until about ¼ inch of the wick is exposed above the wax surface. This ensures the wick will burn properly the next time you light the candle.
What can I use instead of a candle wick? ›
For homemade wicks, you can use tightly rolled-up newspapers, twisted toilet paper or paper towels, cardboard, twine, 100% cotton string or embroidery floss, cotton balls, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, or any cotton fabric like strips from an old t-shirt or strings from an old cotton mop.
Can you use a toothpick as a wick? ›
Yes, you can use a toothpick as a wick; however, before doing so, you must dip it in melted wax to ensure it has a coating that will facilitate continuous burning.
How do you make wicks last longer? ›
As a guide, you should aim to keep your wick about one-fourth of an inch tall. For easy trimming, wait until the candle is completely cool and turn it upside down to remove the charred part of the wick. DO allow the candle to cool completely between each burn.
How to burn candle wax without a wick? ›
You can burn candles without wicks by using a heat source to melt the wax and release the fragrance from the oils. When the wax is melted, the heat source is inserted into it, and it heats it to create a warm, glowing light.
How to revive a candle wick? ›
How to Fix a Candle Wick That's Too Short
- Light the wick and let it burn for 20 to 30 minutes. ...
- If the flame remains weak, blow out the candle and pour the wax it melted onto a paper plate. ...
- The newly formed indent in the wax exposes more of the wick.
You just need to give the wick a bit more space from the wax so it can work it's magic. Solution: Melt the wax right around the wick with matches or a lighter. Dab the excess wax out with a paper towel or drain it. Repeat if necessary.
Can I use string as a candle wick? ›
First, you'll have to choose your wick; the most popular would be using a piece of twine or cotton string. Once you've chosen your string, you can pick your method to make it a wick; the quick and easy way is to take your string and soak it with wax; by doing this and letting it dry, the wick will work.
If you're worried burning your fingers to light inside a candle. you can use a piece of spaghetti to light the wick with that.
What if the wood wick is trimmed too short? ›
If the wood wick was trimmed too short and the candle won't stay lit because it is "drowning" in a pool of wax, try using a paper towel or napkin to soak up some of the excess wax. Continue this process until your wick has room to breathe!
Can you trim a wick? ›
Once they've burned out, you can use metal scissors or a wick trimmer to trim them down to ¼ inch before relighting them. It's important to note that trimming a wick while it is still lit can cause a large flame and potential fire hazard.
What happens if wick is too long? ›
If you don't trim your wick, you run the risk of tunneling, "which happens when your wick is too long and the flame gets too hot, causing excess wax to burn," she adds.
Does wick length matter? ›
Yes, the size of your wick definitely matters. Different wick sizes allow different levels of heat. Thicker wicks allow more fuel to be drawn into the flame and will create more heat. These wicks are better for wider candles or candles made with harder waxes like beeswax or other pillar waxes.
