Using candles for mood lighting is very popular, in any time of the year. More expensive branded, scented candles are beloved also. In this case it might be more important that they burn clean, as long as it is possible with using most of their materials. These can be reached with some tricks and attention.
One of the mistakes is not to let the candle burn long enough at the first ignition. The size of the wax pool around the wick determines the life of the candle. This should be the biggest, close enough to the edge of the candle, unless it leaves a rim which won’t melt later. For this, burn a new candle for 1 hour per 2.5 cm in diameter.
A wick that is too long can cause a candle to start smoking. Keep your wick trimmed at all times, this results a steady flame, which means the candle’s burning process is in balance. The ideal length is 6 mm.
A candle that is in a draught can start flickering and will likely smoke, which causes a candle to start dripping. The solution is simple: don’t put the candle in the draught.
If the candle is placed in a lantern or container, make sure that air can flow freely for providing steady burning. The container should be big enough and open on top and bottom. This way the flame won’t flicker and smoke.
Candles are too close to each other can heat and melt each other which cause dripping and warping. Avoiding this, the ideal gap between the candles of a group is at least 10 cm.
When using candles, always take care of placing them away from inflammable materials and never let them unattended. Safety is first!