Any way to prevent soot from candles on walls?

Question

I have candle brackets on the walls of my room. They are far enough away from the wall to not be a danger of lighting anything on fire but I mislike the idea of soot from the flame marking the painted ceiling.

Is there any way to prevent this? Or to do away with the soot once it appears?

Answer 1

The problem is most likely caused by the wick not being trimmed to 1/4". Having a wick that is too long will cause a soot problem in any candle (including soy). It is also possible that you have a low quality candle with a mis-matched wick size. I would advise staying away from inexpensive or mass produced candles.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I had the same problem so I switched from paraffin to vegetable wax candles.  My favorite brand is Mia Bella.  For more information visit:

http://www.bellamiacandle.scent-team.com  

Answer 3

I second what Carl H said about being sure you trim your wicks to 1/4" and staying away from low quality candles.  Try Gold Canyon candles - they are amazing!!  No matter which candles you burn you should always keep the wicks trimmed to 1/4" and don't burn for longer than 1 hour for every inch in diameter the candle is.  You should trim the wicks right before you light the candles, every time.  HTH :)