Why Do My Candle Wicks Smoke?

Why Do My Candle Wicks Smoke?

One of the age old questions on candle burning - why do some candles smoke more than others? More and more have become aware of the toxins in our air, and are searching for alternatives to one of our favorite things - candles.

In our endless search for the perfect candle that doesn’t smoke, there are several factors we must look at.

1. What kind of wax is the candle?
There’s no doubt that soy wax puts off less smoke than paraffin. Find out what kind of wax the candle is, and if it’s putting off a lot of smoke it’s most likely paraffin.

2. What kind of wick does it have?
Cotton wicks tend to burn cleaner than zinc core wicks. Zinc core wicks also “shroom” more (meaning they get those black balls at the top of the wick when burning), and can create more smoke. For less smoke, burn only candles with cotton or other natural wicks.

3. Blowing out candles
If you don’t think twice about blowing out a candle, then this is going to create more smoke than if you use a wick dipper. What’s a wick dipper? It’s a tool used to push the wick down into the candle wax pool to put the candle out, then used to pull the wick back up straight. Using a wick dipper will reduce the amount of smoke.

4. Candle Care
Have you taken good care of your candle? This means letting it burn all the way across the first time you light it, and trimming your wicks when need be. Many candles don’t need to be trimmed, but others do. Also, be sure not to have the candle burning near any drafts. Winds can make the candles put off more smoke.

There’s other small factors involved, but the biggest are the type of candle wax used and the wicks. Buying only soy candles with cotton wicks is going to reduce the amount of smoke in your home.

Soy wax candles with cotton wicks can be found at Prairie Soy Candles.