Candle Care 101: How to Burn, Trim, and Store Candles in Cold Alberta Weather
Winter in Alberta is no joke. The temperatures drop, the air dries out, and your candles start behaving in ways that make you question if Mercury is permanently in retrograde. The truth is, winter affects candles more than most people realize. Cold weather changes how wax reacts, how wicks burn, and how scent travels through your home.
At Ebony and Ivory Candle Co., every candle is hand poured in Lethbridge using 100 percent soy wax or a coconut soy blend. Both waxes burn cleanly and beautifully, but they also need the right care, especially during Canadian winter months. With the right tips, your candles will burn longer, cleaner, and more evenly all season.
Here is your Alberta approved guide to winter candle care.
1. Let Your Candle Warm Up Before You Light It
When your candle arrives by mail or sits in your car in minus thirty weather, the wax becomes dense and cold. Lighting a cold candle leads to tunneling and uneven burns.
Instead, give it time.
Let your candle warm to room temperature for at least:
• 1 to 2 hours if it came from outside
• longer if your home is cold or drafty
This simple step helps the wax melt evenly across the surface.
2. Always Trim Your Wick
A trimmed wick is the secret to every great candle burn.
Before lighting, trim your wick to ¼ inch to prevent:
• mushrooming
• soot
• black smoke
• harsh flame
• uneven burning
This applies to cotton wicks, wood wicks, and double wicks.
A neat wick equals a clean burn.
Need a wick trimmer?
Shop our candle tool set here:
https://www.ebonyandivorycandleco.com/products/candle-tools
3. Burn It Long Enough for a Full Melt Pool
A melt pool is when the wax melts all the way to the edges of the jar.
Winter makes this harder, so your first burn matters most.
Let your candle burn:
• 2 to 3 hours for an 8 oz candle
• 3 to 4 hours for a 16 oz candle
This prevents tunneling and gives your candle a long, healthy life.
Try this with customer favourites like Noel, Northern Lights, Mountain Fir, or Ski Bum.
https://www.ebonyandivorycandleco.com/collections/winter
4. Avoid Drafts and Cold Spots
In Alberta winters, your home has a mix of warm air, cold air, and surprise breezes from furnace vents. Drafts affect the flame by making it:
• flicker
• burn unevenly
• create soot
• burn faster
Place your candle somewhere stable, warm, and protected.
Avoid windows, entryways, vents, and cold stone surfaces.
5. Store Your Candles Smartly
Proper storage keeps your candles looking and burning beautifully throughout winter.
Store your candles:
• upright
• with the lid on
• away from direct sunlight
• in a room with consistent temperature
Do not keep them in your car overnight.
Do not leave them near heaters or fireplaces.
Soy wax likes stability.
6. Know When to Stop Burning
Every candle has a stopping point.
To protect your vessel from overheating, stop burning once ½ inch of wax remains at the bottom. This applies to all sizes and all wax types.
Good candle care keeps your space and your candle safe.
7. Let the Wax Reset Between Burns
After extinguishing, let your candle fully cool before lighting again. This resets the surface and keeps your wick centered and strong.
Pro tip: Use a snuffer to extinguish your candle for a cleaner finish.
8. Burn Time Matters
To get the most out of your candle:
• never burn longer than 4 hours
• take breaks between burns
• trim the wick before relighting
Following these steps helps your candle burn slow, even, and clean, especially in cold weather.
Winter Candle Care for Alberta Homes
Alberta winters put candles to the test, but when you understand how wax behaves in cold climates, you get longer burns, richer scents, and cleaner flames.
Whether you are lighting Ski Bum on a slow morning, Northern Lights during a quiet evening, or Noel for a family gathering, the right care makes all the difference.
Where to Shop Our Candles
You can shop Ebony and Ivory candles in person at our Alberta locations:
Park Place Mall, Lethbridge
Open 7 days a week until 8 PM
Medicine Hat Mall, Medicine Hat
Open 7 days a week until 8 PM
You can also visit our Lethbridge warehouse, open Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM.
If you are in Calgary, order online anytime and we will ship directly to your door. We ship across Alberta and Canada, with free shipping on orders over $125 using promo code FREESHIP.
Light It Right This Winter
Clean wax, trimmed wicks, smart storage, and intentional burning will make every winter candle last longer and glow better.
Care for your candle and your candle will care for your space.
