Think you know how to light a candle? Well, turns out you DON’T

When it comes to interiors, we'll admit that we haven't QUITE made it.

For every cute teacup, there's a fraying curtain hem and for every cosy throw, there's a skirting board gathering serious dust.

But if there's one thing we have nailed in the domestic goddess department, it's candles.

From long tapers to tea lights and everything in between, when it comes to candles we definitely thought we knew our stuff.

But it turns out, we don't… at all.

According to Marie Claire, the vast majority of us are doing ourselves a major disservice in the candle department by destroying our scented friends with the act of tunnelling.

Those in the know are eager to remind us that a candle's first burn is incredibly important, and if you don't allow it to burn long enough so that the puddle reaches the edge, you are essentially ruining your new purchase.

By extinguishing the flame before the puddle reaches the edge means your candle will always burn unevenly, and you'll never get full value for your money.

If you're as horrified as the rest of us right now, rest assured all you need do to get the most out of your candle is allow the wax puddle to reach the same size as the circumference of the candle before extinguishing it.

And now, you're a grown-up.