A good candle isn't cheap, and a small-batch one is a little luxury. The difference between getting forty hours out of it and getting sixty isn't the candle — it's how you treat it. None of this is fussy. It's just the handful of habits that makers wish everyone knew.

1. Get the first burn right

This is the big one. Wax has a memory: the first burn decides how far the candle melts on every burn after. Let it pool all the way to the edges before you put it out — two to three hours for an 8 oz tin. Cut it short and you've locked in a tunnel for life. (More on that: The First Burn.)

2. Trim the wick to ¼ inch — every time

Before every burn, not just the first. A long wick makes a tall, hungry flame that burns fast, smokes, and blackens the jar. A trimmed wick burns slow, clean, and even. Just pinch off the burnt tip when the wax is cool.

3. Burn long enough — but not too long

Give it the time to reach the edges, then let it rest. Past about three to four hours the wax overheats, the flame grows, and you're just burning fuel faster. Long enough to pool, short enough to stay even.

4. Keep it out of drafts

A flickering flame is a flame working too hard — it burns unevenly and faster. A windowsill with the window cracked, a vent, a ceiling fan: all of them shorten a candle. Find it a still spot.

5. Catch tunneling early

If you see wax climbing the sides, fix it before it sets. The foil method resets the surface in an hour and saves the wax you'd otherwise lose.

6. Store it cool, dark, and covered

Heat and light fade fragrance over time. Keep candles out of direct sun and away from radiators, and put the lid back on between burns — it keeps dust out and holds the scent in.

7. Start with a wax that's on your side

Some candles are built to last longer than others. Soft, slow-burning soy on a steady hemp wick simply gives you more hours per ounce than hot, fast paraffin. The habits above help any candle; they help a well-made one most.

The short version

First burn full, wick trimmed, out of the draft, lid on. Do those four and you'll feel the difference in burn time.

Every Torrey candle is hand-poured organic soy on a hemp wick — about 45–55 hours each when you treat it right. Meet the current batch.

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