Showering your Laird candle with attention will help to create a lovely clean burn – and will make it last a lot longer.

When you first light your candle, let it burn for a few hours to make sure the wax reaches the side of the jar and starts to burn downwards. This is known as a 'full melt pool'. This will help to avoid 'tunnelling' – where only part of the wax melts and the candle has a shorter burn life.

Before you light the candle the next (and subsequent) time, 'trim' the wick to around 5mm by pinching the burnt wick with your fingers. This helps the candle burn cleaner and avoids it smoking. Light your candle in draught-free areas, away from anything flammable – and never leave it unattended. Also, only ever place your candle on a non-flammable surface.

Let your candle burn for up to three hours to avoid the glass over heating. Once you've extinguished it, the scent will still continue to fill the space. If you burn for longer then you run the risk of burning all the fragrance too quickly. Be careful of the hot glass and never extinguish a candle with water. Use the lid or a candle snuffer to smother it safely.

If your candle smokes or the flame is too high, then it isn't burning properly. Extinguish it, let it cool, trim the wick – then relight.

Please don't let the candle burn all the wax as it's much safer to leave a little at the bottom and not let the flame touch the glass. When you've finished your candle, you can recycle the glass or clean it and use as a tealight holder. Don't forget to take a look at the safety label on the bottom of the jar. Also, please do remember to burn for no more than two hours.