Four things you're doing wrong when it comes to burning candles

Wick should be trimmed to three millimetres each time candle is used

How to burn a candle correctly, according to an expert (Stock)

As the nights get longer and colder, candles are the perfect way to make rooms feel cosier while filling our homes with fragrance.

But it turns out that burning a candle isn’t always as simple as striking a match and leaving it to flicker.

According to Estelle Omnes from candle firm Diptyque, who spoke to Mecca, there are a few mistakes that people make when it comes to candles, which can result in a diminished lifespan or ruined candle.

This is what you need to know about burning a candle correctly.

Be careful from the beginning

When you first light a new candle, you should “burn it for at least two to three hours,” according to Omnes, who explained that this is to ensure that the wax melts evenly and tunnelling doesn’t occur.

Tunnelling - when the wax forms a hole in the candle - is a situation that is “most complicated” as it “greatly reduces the lifespan of a candle”.

Sometimes the error is fixable, according to Omnes, who said “next time you have to burn it for a really long period of time, so that the candle catches up with the hole”.

Care for the wick

“When you burn a candle, the wax evaporates, which makes the candle go down, and the wick does not go down at the same speed,” Omnes explained. “You need to cut the wick to only three millimetres.”

If you burn your candle for more than three hours, you should take time to put it out and trim the wick before re-lighting it, otherwise the flame can burn the cotton of the wick “which is what creates the black smoke and blackens the candle holder,” according to Omnes.

Make sure to trim the wick each time you use your candle (Stock)

Caring for a candle also means re-centring the wick each time you put out your candle to ensure that it burns evenly each time you light it.

“Once you have put out the candle, use something like a match to re-centre the wick while the wax is still soft,” Omnes recommends.

Put out the candle correctly

Your first instinct when it comes to putting out a candle is likely to blow it out, but the method is incorrect for a few reasons.

First, blowing out a candle can ruin the hours you spent burning it for its scent, as it replaces the fragrance with the smell of smoke.

The technique can also be risky, as it has the potential to send sparks into the air.

According to Omnes, the best methods for putting out a candle are either with a candle snuffer - a bell-shaped metal cone with a handle - or with the lid of the candle.

If you have neither, she recommends using a spoon.

Prepare the candle vessel for reuse

Many luxury candles come in stunning jars that can be disappointing to get rid of once the candle has finished.

Candle vessels can be reused once the candle is gone (Stock)

Fortunately, you can reuse candle vessels easily, according to Omnes, who explained that first you need to remove the leftover wax.

Omnes' favourite technique for doing so is to put the candle in the freezer overnight, which shrinks the wax, making it easily removable by hand.

You can also microwave the candle, as long as it doesn’t have metallic finishes, or pour hot water onto the wax.

Once the wax has been removed and the vessel has been cleaned, Omnes suggests using it for anything from a decorative toiletry holder to a planter.