Candle wick not centered - How to fix it!

Candle wick not centered

 

Disaster, you've made your candles, let them set overnight and your wick is out of whack... Is there a way to fix a wick that's not properly centered when it's set?

Of course with a few little tricks, you can fix an off-set wick 99% of the time.

What issues can an off-centre wick create?

A misaligned wick can cause your candle to burn unevenly, drip, or smoke. If your wick is not centered, one side of the wick will likely burn faster than the other. This can cause the wax to melt unevenly, leading to dripping or pooling. In addition, a crooked wick can create pockets of unburned wax, which can eventually cause the candle to produce smoke.

So what can we do to alleviate these problems

  1. Firstly if it's a soft wax like soy or coconut you can pull the wick taut so it's inline and then use a heat gun to smooth over the tops. This tends to be my go-to method for a wick that's only ever so slightly off centre.
  2. An apple corer may be used to remove the wax around the wick. Since the soy wax was soft, I used an apple corer, but a plastic cylinder would work. Then carve out where you want to install the wick, replace it and press the wax back into the holes. Then use a heat gun to smooth over the top.
  3. Last resort, melt the candle either in a double boiler or in the microwave (be careful with this one) and repour the wax and make sure you align the wick correctly with a wicking tool.

Good luck on trying to fix an off-centre wick, hopefully, these tips will aid you in your plight. Learning how to wick a candle properly can help the process and avoid these issues, but as always mistakes happen.