If you Google “Wooden Wicks,” you’ll undoubtedly come across a slew of false and perplexing wooden wick myths. As a result, we’re delighted you’ve arrived.
We’ve come to correct the record… While we may not be able to cover everything in one blog article, we will address the most prevalent misconceptions concerning wooden wicks, both in terms of the production process and the final product’s performance.
WOOD WICK MYTH #1: BEFORE USING, SOAK WOODEN WICKS IN OIL OR A BURNING AGENT.
FALSE: This is the most widespread misconception about hardwood wicks. Wooden wicks are intended to be used as is, with no soaking in oil or dipping in wax. Some online literature claims that treating them before pouring your candles would help them burn better, and that if you don’t, they won’t remain lit.
If the wicks don’t remain lit, there might be a number of issues, including wrong wick size or a wick that’s too high above the wax (wicks should be cut to 3/16″ above the wax). It’s possible that improper burn testing is at fault.
Wicks made of wood should not be handled in any way. The fact that hardwood wicks are a natural product adds to their appeal.
If you get a burn, it’s because you didn’t use the right size wick for the diameter of the vessel and the mixture of wax, fragrance, color, and other ingredients. For the finest wicks to use for your container.
Do not use “treated” wicks since you have no idea what they’ve been treated with, there’s no reason for them to be treated, and the product isn’t from a licensed distributor.
WOOD WICK MYTH #2: WOODEN WICKS ARE DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH.
FALSE: Using wooden wicks is easier than using cotton wicks. Anyone who has ever attempted to make their own candle understands that the procedure is both a science and an art. Finding the proper wick will take some trial and error, but before you get started, check out our Wick Selection Guide for our top recommendations.
Unlike standard cotton wicks, hardwood wicks have a wide base, allowing them to generate larger melt pools, resulting in a clean, even burn.
Simply increase the diameter of your wick by one size and retest if your wick does not generate a full melt pool. Continue this procedure for about two hours, or until your wick melts the wax to the container’s edges.
If your wick is smoking and creating a complete melt pool too rapidly, reduce the width of your wick by one size and repeat until your wick is no longer smoking and creating a melt pool to the container’s edges in around two hours.
Wooden wicks are also stiff, thus unlike ordinary wicks, they don’t require wick bars or straightening. This saves time during the candle-making process and results in wicks that are less crooked or off-center.
Use a wick sticker to hold the wick and clip in place while pouring your wax for further security.
WOOD WICK MYTH #3: FOR A BETTER FLAME, WOODEN WICKS SHOULD BE LONGER.
FALSE: For the optimum burn performance, wooden wicks should be cut to a height of about 3/16″ above the wax.
A lovely flame may be achieved by keeping a wooden wick at the right length and sizing it for the candle and wax combination.
The wax will not be able to capillary all the way up and sustain a flame if the wick is too high above the surface. This can result in a wick with a low flame or one that self-extinguishes.
WOOD WICK MYTH #4: THEY DON’T STAY LIT.
FALSE: It is a human mistake if you are considering manufacturing candles with wooden wicks but are reluctant because you heard somewhere that wooden wicks don’t stay lit.
It’s because the candle wasn’t manufactured properly if it won’t remain lit, whether it has a cotton wick or a hardwood wick.
Wooden wicks, like cotton wicks, must be the proper size for the diameter of the candle and wax blend, which includes the fragrance and color load, as well as any additional additions. The candle will stay lit if the correct size hardwood wick is used and it is trimmed to the suitable length.
WOOD WICK MYTH #5: SOY WAX DOESN’T WORK WITH WOODEN WICKS.
FALSE: Soy wax burns at a slower pace than other types of wax (as does beeswax). Wooden wicks, on the other hand, are a fantastic alternative for soy wax if you use the right sized wick (we’re talking about thickness as well as width).
In creating 100 percent soy wax candles, many of our customers use our wooden wicks. For soy and other 100% vegetable mixes, our Original Booster Wicks are a fantastic choice.
WOOD WICK MYTH #6: WOODEN WICKS DON’T BURN AS WELL AS COTTON WICKS.
NOT THE CASE: Not only will wooden wicks burn as well as cotton wicks if you use the right size wick for your candle diameter and wax blend (are you hearing a pattern here? ), but they will burn even better.
Cotton wicks provide a nice mellow crackling or a horizontal flickering flame, don’t they? I don’t believe so.
WOOD WICK MYTH #7: WOODEN WICKS CANNOT HANDLE A HIGH FRAGRANCE LOAD.
FALSE: A hardwood wick can handle the same amount of scent as a cotton wick.
It all comes down to selecting the proper wick size for the vessel diameter, wax blend, and fragrance load. You may also find that various smells necessitate wick size modifications (same with a cotton wick).
Also, as one of our scent specialists (with over 20 years of experience as a perfumer) points out, “a fragrance load of above 12 percent does nothing to boost fragrance throw, hot or cold, might represent a safety danger, and is essentially just a waste of money.”
For a moderate to high scent load, we recommend applying 8-12 percent fragrance.
WOOD WICK MYTH #8: WOODEN WICKS ARE HARMFUL TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE’RE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: When you buy crackle candles or one of our distributors, you can be certain that all of our wicks come from FSC-certified mills and are 100 percent American-made, sourced and manufactured in the United States.
FSC certification guarantees that goods are sourced from properly managed forests that benefit the environment, society, and economy.
Cotton, on the other hand, is a pesticide-intensive crop that contributes to river and groundwater pollution. Cotton uses a lot of water, which degrades soil fertility and, in certain situations, causes some of the world’s greatest inland water sources to dry up.
Cotton contributes to climate change due to the massive volumes of carbon dioxide emitted by industrial fertilizers. It’s heavy stuff, but it’s definitely worth thinking about!
WOODEN WICK MYTH #9: WOODEN WICKS DON’T CRACKLE.
WHAT?: When used appropriately, that is, with the suitable wick size for the candle diameter and wax blend, wooden wicks do crackle. “You need to acquire wood wicks that have been treated with a crackling chemical,” many people have said on the internet.