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Woman shares amazing way to save candles from 'tunnelling' effect

You needn't throw out that old candle - all thanks to a clever trick (Getty Images)
You needn't throw out that old candle - all thanks to a clever trick (Getty Images)

We don’t know about you, but we’ve been burning our way through calming candles at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

But, we think everyone will agree, there are few things more frustrating than the ‘tunnelling’ effect sometimes created when wax starts to melt.

For the uninitiated, this is where your candle only burns down the centre, leaving a thick layer around the perimeter.

As well as being rather unsightly, it means money goes to waste - which is particularly annoying if you’ve invested in a special one, like this Neom scented treat.

Read more: Small buy to make your day - Neom's de-stress candle

Fortunately, one woman has revealed a really simple way you can save your candle from such a fate.

In a post on Twitter, the social media user called Lucy wrote: “I asked on instagram if there was any way to fix a tunnelled candle and a few people said you can use tin foil.

“I tried it yesterday and it only bloody worked, honestly this is probs the best hack I’ve ever learnt.”

At the same time, she shared a video demonstrating how she had attached foil around the upper half of a lit candle and folded it over the top - while leaving a gap for the flame to get oxygen.

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This caused heat to be trapped beneath the foil ‘roof’, meaning the wax below melted and evened out.

Her tip has received more than 1,300 ‘likes’ and dozens of grateful messages.

One person wrote: “Wow this is amazing. I had no idea.”

Another commented: “Oh my god what. Life changing.”

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A third shared: “Wow. That’s so helpful. Thanks.”

And a fourth added: “No more throwing candles out.”

One fellow Twitter user also suggested how people could avoid it happening in the first place.

She explained: “Make sure it burns for three to four hours (enough to get an even melt pool) when you first light it.”

Read more: Make the most of your candles with this burning technique

It comes after candle expert Alia Raza, co-founder of fragrance house Régime des Fleurs, told Vogue how to extend their life.

These include trimming its wick before first burning it. She explained: “I’ve heard that wicks should be a quarter of an inch, but in my experience, that’s too short. Eyeball it for a third of an inch.

“You can use a special wick trimmer, but I just use small scissors.”

To extinguish the flame, she also recommended gently blowing on the wick then immediately covering the candle with a lid.

This will prevent any dust and dirt from settling on the wax, and will also reduce the risk of a tilted wick.