If your home is filled with sweetly scented candles, there's no doubt you'll have seen some candle tunneling.
Although it's a very normal thing to happen to candles, it can be annoying, but luckily, there are ways you can prevent candle tunneling from happening.
What does 'candle tunneling' mean?
If you're not familiar with this term, 'candle tunelling' is the name given to a candle when only a small portion of the wax around the wick melts while the candle is burning instead of having the entirety of the wax surface melt evenly.
Eventually, as the candle burns further down, your candle will resemble a tunnel and will start to get lost in the middle of the candle, sometimes causing the flame to burn out as not enough oxygen is getting to it.
Why should you prevent candle tunneling?
Not only can tunneling cause the candle to stop burning, but it also means wasting much of the wax, reducing the total burn time of your candle.
Why does candle tunneling happen?
Although it's more likely to happen with cheaper candles, it's just as likely to happen to higher quality candles too.
Normally, if you get tunelling it's down to the wick size (which often can't be helped) and also bad candle burning habits - which you can do something about.
How to prevent candle tunneling
It's all in that first burn. The first time you burn the candle, make sure you allow the entire top layer to melt before blowing it out. This will soften up that top layer of wax, meaning it will melt more evenly the next time you light the wick.
Every time you burn the candle, make sure the top layer is evenly melted to avoid any tunneling. The bigger the candle, the longer you'll have to burn it for, so keep this in mind when buying candles.
When it comes to the wick, if it's not long enough, there won't be enough wick to generate enough heat for that top layer, so always look out for a longer wick when candle shopping.
How to fix candle tunneling
If your candle has already started to tunnel, don't panic - there are some steps you can take to stop the tunneling in its tracks.
First try evening out the wax by melting the unmelted wax around the outside using a heat gun or hot hair dryer. Sometimes poking it with a cocktail stick can help it melt faster.
Once it's all evenly melted, burn the wick for around half an hour until you can't see any tunneling.
Alternatively, you can light the wick and cover the top of the candle with aluminium foil. Allow the candle to burn for a few hours until the wax has completely melted. Blow out your candle and leave it to one side to harden.