Your candles will last longer and burn cleaner if you trim the candle wick. It is very easy to do and should be done every time you light the candle. Remove the small bump of wax that's around the candle wick before you relight it. Just use a sharp knife or wick cutter. Trim the candle wick to 1/4 inch for an unscented candle, before you light it. You can use a nail clipper, scissors, wire nippers or wick cutter to trim the wick Light your candle and let it burn for 2 to 3 hours. Extinguish the flame with a candle snuffer and allow the candle wick to cool. Cut the wick back down to a length of 1/4 inch above the wax. Relight the candle and burn it for another 2 to 3 hours and repeat the process of extinguishing the flame and trimming the wick.