Get Your Soot Together!
Picture this: You've set the perfect mood, lit an Andante Home candle, and walked away feeling like a total home decor maestro. Then, BAM! Soot happens.
We've all been there—that moment when you return to find your once-pristine candle looking like it survived a tiny carbon apocalypse. Those sneaky particles aren't just an eyesore; they're a full-blown candle crime scene.
If you noticed this with one of our candles or any other brand candle, we got a way to fix the problem. TRIM THOSE WICKS!
Ok, it’s not that simple. But let's talk about the number one troublemaker: your wick. An untamed wick is unpredictable and prone to making a mess.
Trim that wick to 1/4 inch before each lighting, this ensures:
- More efficient combustion
- Reduced carbon particle release
- Longer candle lifespan
- More even burning
Using our own wicks and vessels, we did our own testing. Below is a picture of a candle that burned for 3 hours and had no wick trimming during that time.
If you look closely, you can even see some mushrooming on the top of the wick. This is a term used when a ball starts to form on the top of the wick. This is a large indicator that it is time to trim the wick.
If you're a constant wick trimmer like us but still notice soot forming, take a look at the flame when it's lit. Is it dancing around? This is caused by drafts or breezes. These are known as the Silent Soot Accelerators.
While our windows remain closed throughout most of the year, heating and cooling vents can create subtle air currents that disturb your candle's flame.
Candles placed near air currents—from windows, fans, or air conditioning vents—burn irregularly. These drafts cause:
- Uneven flame movement
- Increased carbon particle production
- Faster, less controlled wax consumption
- Higher soot generation
- Large/Thin flames.
We tested a candle by placing it on a book shelf near one of our closed windows and 2 feet away from one of our floor vents that blows directly at the shelf. After about 1 hour we noticed the following.
If you look closely at the soot, it created distinct patterns along the vessel walls—an unfortunate result of the unstable flame. Despite trimming the wick again to ¼ inch just 30 minutes after lighting, which is unusually early for maintenance, soot continued to accumulate. This demonstrates how even properly trimmed wicks can produce soot when exposed to air disturbances.
Picture below is a well-trimmed candle kept away from drafts and other silent disturbances.
Best Practices for Minimal Soot
- Trim Wicks Regularly: Cut wicks to 1/4 inch before each use.
- Choose Strategic Locations: Place candles away from drafts and air movement.
- Stay Put: Don’t take your candle on a house tour. Keep it in one place.
- Monitor Burning Time: Extinguish candles after 4 hours to prevent excessive soot buildup.
💡Andante Reminder
Beyond aesthetic concerns, reducing soot protects your respiratory health and prevents potential long-term damage to interior surfaces. By understanding and implementing proper candle care, you can enjoy a cleaner, safer candlelit environment.