How to Trim a Candle Wick, With or Without a Trimmer

Sea Salt & Orchid soy candle in an amber glass jar with a black lid — Shown: Sea Salt & Orchid, 9 oz amber jar, $20

The short answer

Trim the wick to ¼ inch before every burn, and remove the trimmings from the wax. Only trim when the candle is out and the wax has hardened. That's the National Candle Association's advice, and it says regular trimming can make a candle burn up to 25% longer.

How to trim a candle wick

Put the candle out and let it cool until the wax is solid.
Cut the wick straight across, leaving about ¼ inch above the wax.
Lift any trimmings or burnt bits out of the wax so they don't catch light next time.

How to trim a candle wick without a trimmer

Nail clippers work well in a short jar like our 4 oz amber jar: they reach in and cut cleanly.
Small scissors work when the wick is near the top of the jar.
A tissue or paper towel: once the wick is completely cool, pinch off the black, crumbly tip.

For a tall jar, like our 16 oz glass jar, a wick trimmer is easiest: its angled blades reach down inside the glass and catch the trimming.

Why trimming matters

A long wick makes a tall, flickering flame that smokes and leaves soot on the glass. It also builds up a black "mushroom" of carbon on the tip. If your candle is already smoking, here's why a candle smokes and how to stop it.

Don't trim too short

About ¼ inch is right. A wick cut much shorter can drown in the melted wax and go out, or give a flame too small to melt the wax to the edge, which leads to tunneling.

The rest of the routine

Burn for no more than four hours at a time, keep the candle out of drafts, and let it cool for at least two hours before relighting. Our candle care page has the full list.

Source: National Candle Association, your foolproof guide to burning a candle correctly.

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