Whether you are making your own candles or using those that you bought at the store, a leaning candlewick is never a good sign. You see your candle wick hugging one side of the jar or container that it is in, and you start to wonder why it is leaning.
Candlewick may lean because the wick is too long or not centered enough. Another major cause might be that the melt pool became too deep, which means the wick may not have any support and lean.
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A leaning candle wick is not only unsightly, but it can also lead to an uneven burn and decreased fragrance. Luckily, it’s easy to correct the problem and have your candles burning perfectly in no time.
Why Is My Candle Wick Leaning?
You might notice that your candle sometimes leans even if you take steps to be careful and place the wick in special wick tabs. Basically, wick tabs are connected to the base of jars or containers to make sure that your candlewick stands up straight. However, despite being perfectly vertical, candle wicks often lean towards the side despite being placed vertically. But why does this happen?
The primary reason candle wicks lean is how quickly the wax burns out. The faster the wax melts, the lesser the support left for the wick. As a result, it is unable to retain its vertical position and favors one side of the jar or container.
Also, the wick loses its centered position when the candle burns at a temperature that could be deemed too hot. Even burning the candle for an extended period of time can force the wick to lean. In addition, the fragrances and colors used in candles could cause the candles to heat up at a faster pace than average, causing them to burn out too quickly.
How Do You Fix A Leaning Wick?
When you see a candle wick that leans to one side, you think to yourself about ways to fix it. Well, you do not need to think anymore. Here are several tips to help you fix your leaning wick.
- Reposition the wick
The easiest thing for you to do to fix a leaning candlewick is to straighten it. First, blow the candle out and immediately push it back into its upright position. Let the candle sit and allow the wax to harden. When your candle has had enough time to cool down, you will notice that the wick is in its former centered position, as it should be.
- Keep your candle away from a draft.
You may not know this, but a draft can cause your candle to burn in an uneven and unstable manner. This is because a draft creates a continuous stream of wind and air, which heats up due to the candle flame. Consequently, the wind or the air will be pushed against one side of the container, causing the candle wick to lean.
In order to ensure that the flame is even and does not lead to the problem of your candle wick favoring one side of the jar or container, you should keep the candle out of the way of a draft. Even the smallest draft can kickstart a cycle to bend your candlewick.
- Center the candle wick
Sometimes, a candlewick leans due to a defect that arises at the time of making the candle. One of these defects is the wick not being centered, which also leads to the uneven burning of the flame. If you want to ensure that this problem does not arise with your favorite candles, pay special attention to the placement of the wick.
If you are making your own candle at home, ensure that the wick is right at the center. But if you are purchasing candles from the store, take some time to check whether the wick has been placed correctly. Do not buy that candle if you see that the wick is not centered.
How Do You Keep A Candle Wick From Bending?
Candle wicks have a tendency to bend towards one side of the jar or container when the wax melts at a faster pace, leaving no support for the wick. Moreover, if the candle wick does not contain a core, it will not be thick enough to stand upright. A candle that has not been pre-dipped can also cause its wick to bend over.
In such cases, you need to ensure that your candle has a strong wick tab to keep it in place. In addition, you will have to ensure that the wax you use is long-lasting and does not burn out too quickly.
How Do You Prevent Your Wick From Leaning?
Instead of fixing a leaning wick, why not prevent the problem from occurring in the first place? Below are some tips that will help you ensure that your candle wick does not veer off to one side.
- Trim the wick
One of the best ways to prevent all kinds of problems with your candle wick is by ensuring that it is trimmed correctly.
- Burn the candle for an ample amount of time
In order to ensure that the wick and wax melt at a uniform rate, you will have to burn your candle for an ample amount of time. Leave the candle after lighting it until you see that the pool formed by the melted wax is equal from all sides.
However, keep in mind that you should not let the flame burn for longer than four hours (or overnight), which is the recommended time to burn a candle. Otherwise, you could invite a whole new set of problems for your candle.
- Pay attention to the length of the wick.
Not only should you trim your wick regularly, but you should ensure that its length aligns with that of your candle. If a wick is too large, compared to the candle’s size, it will cause a greater amount of wax to melt.
4. Use proper materials to make your wick.
Many people use other materials to make candle wicks, such as string. But candle wick and string are not the same things. Even if many people claim them to be.
Consequently, the wax and wick will be uneven, and the wick will favor one side. On the other hand, if your wick is too short, the wax will pool all around it and, thus, lean towards one particular side.
Furthermore, if your wick is too short already, you can fix this by allowing the candle to burn and transferring the melted wax onto a plate or in a container. This will prevent the wick from drowning in the wax or bending aside.
Checking if your wick has the correct length would also prevent mushrooming.
How Do You Keep A Candle Wick Centered?
Everyone loves having a candle by their side as they enjoy a good book or bask in the darkness for a while. However, all the peace that you receive from a candle can quickly be disrupted if the wick veers off towards one edge of the jar or container. One of the causes of this is your candle not being centered. So, the question arises, how can you recenter the wick of your candle?
The easiest way to ensure that your wick retains its position of being at the candle’s center is by using your fingers. Place two of your fingers on the wick, one on either side and slide the entire thing back into its correct place.
However, if you have just put the flame out and the wick is hot, use a butter knife or wick dipper to move it. Give the wax time to harden once you have recentered the candlewick. When it has cooled enough and is firm again, you can light up your candle and let the warm light engulf you.
With ample information about why your wick leans and how to fix them, you can ensure that your candle is functional for a long period of time. Moreover, this will extend the life of your candle and allow you to be refreshed every time you light it up after a long and hard day.