Your feed is full of candle hacks. Some are clever. Others are a fire risk dressed up as a tip. Even the best scented candles only work well if you burn them the right way, so it pays to know which tricks to keep. Here are five popular hacks from candle videos online, sorted into try and skip, with advice from UK fire services to back it up.
Best scented candles and the hacks worth trying
The most useful hack is the foil collar. It fixes tunnelling, which is when a candle burns straight down and leaves a wall of wax up the sides.
Wrap a strip of kitchen foil around the top of the jar. Leave a wide gap in the middle. The foil bounces heat back onto the wax, and the hard edges start to melt. Stay in the room the whole time. Take the foil off with an oven glove once the top is level.
Better still, stop tunnelling before it starts. On the first burn, let the wax melt right across to the edge.
How do you light a deep candle jar safely?
Use a long-handled lighter. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue suggests one to keep your hands away from the flame. A rechargeable arc lighter is another option. Online, people light deep jars with a stick of dry spaghetti. Skip that one.
Candle hacks to skip, even if they look good
These three look lovely on camera but break basic safety rules.
- Packing tealights tightly together on one tray
- Lining tealights along the edge of the bath
- Carrying a lit candle from room to room
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue says to leave at least 10cm between burning candles. It also says to keep them off plastic and acrylic, and that includes the side of the bath. If you need to move a candle, put it out first. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue adds that the little metal cups on tealights are not totally heatproof. Always stand them in a proper holder.
Safe tealight habits for dark November nights
The clocks went back last Sunday, so candles come out earlier in the evening. A simple routine helps. Light candles on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from curtains and cushions. Keep them where pets and children cannot reach. Put every candle out before you leave the room or go to bed.
Quick answers
Does the foil trick fix candle tunnelling?
Yes, it often helps. A foil collar bounces heat back onto the hard wax at the edge, so it melts and levels out. Stay with the candle the whole time, and take the foil off once the top is flat.
How far apart should candles be?
Leave at least 10cm between burning candles, says West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. The National Candle Association says spacing stops candles melting into each other.
Want an easy way to practise these habits? The Glow Collection 2026 Advent Calendar holds 24 scented tealights, one for each night from 1 December. Pop each one in a proper holder, give it space, and enjoy a surprise scent every evening.
Related reading
- Candle Safety at Home: Simple Habits for Winter Evenings: the everyday rules, all in one place.
- Electric Candle Lighter Tips for Tealights and Deep Jars: a better way to light tricky candles.
- Three Wick Candles: The First Burn That Decides Everything: how to stop tunnelling from day one.
