Candles are widely used in homes and businesses to improve the smell, create a specific atmosphere or just to make a room more cozy. However, candles are rarely looked after correctly and generally last for a lot less time than they should. Allow me to teach you how to get the most out of your candles and how to look after them to extend their life span.

When lighting your candle for the first time, make sure that you let it burn until the wax has melted all the way across the surface. This will prevent your candle from tunnelling straight down the middle. For best results, burn your candle for no more than 4 hours at a time.

The wick should be trimmed regularly, each time before you re-light your candle, to prevent smoking and black soot marks on the glass. Keeping the wick trimmed to 1/4 inch is best. A simple trick is to use a pair of nail clippers or cuticle trimmers - these work well as they're small and easy to control. Make sure that you extinguish your candle before trimming and allow it to cool down fully before handling.

Keep candles out of drafts. Drafts can cause uneven burning and may produce a high flame that causes black smoke in addition to soot formation on the jar or container.

When extinguishing your candle, it's best to dip the wick into the liquid wax rather than blowing it out like a birthday cake. This prevents hot wax from splattering all over the place and makes re-lighting easier.

Following these simple steps will help you get more life out of your candles and keep them looking and burning nicely.