The choice of wooden wick must always be adapted to the diameter and shape of the container, the type of wax and the amount of fragrance. In general, wider containers require a more powerful wick in order to achieve an even melt pool on the wax surface without tunnelling. We recommend starting by testing on a smaller series of candles: fill several identical containers with the same wax and fragrance, but with different wick widths, and observe their behaviour over several burning cycles. Only on the basis of these trials should you determine the final size that you will use in serial production.

Wooden wicks are most often used with natural waxes such as soy, coconut, rapeseed and their blends, or in combination with a small proportion of paraffin. Each wax has different viscosity and burning properties, so you need to take into account that the same wick may behave differently when the formulation is changed. Whenever you change the type of wax, the amount of fragrance or add a dye, always perform new burn tests to verify whether the candle maintains a safe and stable flame.

Before each subsequent lighting of the candle, we recommend checking the length of the wick and, if necessary, trimming the burnt part to the recommended height in order to minimize smoking and uneven burning. Gently shorten the top part when the wax has cooled, and do not throw the removed residues back into the container. A wick maintained in this way supports a stable flame and extends the overall lifespan of the candle. Wick care is particularly important with containers of smaller diameter, where it is necessary to monitor the distance of the flame from the walls of the packaging.

A candle container in which a wooden wick has been used can be reused, provided that hygiene principles are observed – for example for pouring a new candle or as a decorative jar. Before reuse, it is necessary to remove wax residues and metal or wooden parts from the container, clean the packaging thoroughly and then disinfect it with a suitable product. For disinfection we recommend using IPA- or ethanol-based products, for example IPA 99 % isopropyl alcohol or ethanol 96 % denatured (plant-based). Only after thorough cleaning and drying is the container ready for further safe use or refilling.

If you decide not to use the container further after the candle has burned down, we recommend recycling it in accordance with the material specified in the product parameters for the specific packaging on the Handymade website. First remove the remaining wax and the metal or wooden parts of the wick and dispose of these in mixed waste. Then sort the packaging itself into the appropriate container according to the type of material (for example glass, plastic, metal or another material according to the marking). By following the recommended recycling rules given in the product parameters, you support a responsible approach to waste and more sustainable candle production.

To choose a suitable jar, bottle or container, we recommend using the extended filter in the packaging categories on Handymade. After clicking on the relevant category, the extended filter is located at the top of the page and allows you to quickly sort products according to key parameters such as neck finish, size, colour or material. Thanks to this, you can easily select a container that will correspond to your candle formulation, design and desired closure type, and then adapt the appropriate type and size of wooden wick to it.