Kerosene Heater: Removing Smell or Odor or Stink

Although kerosene heaters can be categorized into one of conventional heating appliances but in fact there are still many people to choose and use them to warm up the room during the coldest months of winter season. One of factors of their popularity is their more affordable price to purchase. And we all agree one of negative issues while using them is the bad and unfriendly odor or smell from the kerosene fuel itself. This fuel is produced and made from the distillation of oil (crude oil). So it can be called as a liquid mixture of oil-chemicals. And unfortunately the natural stink of kerosene is something that cannot be easily removed. But there are some helpful ideas on how to minimize or eliminate or even remove kerosene smell or odor.

Take a few minutes to read pieces of helpful information below on how to minimize unpleasant kerosene chemical-stink:

1. If the budget permits, you can buy and use the better quality of kerosene (almost odorless), which usually has lower sulfur properties so thus it will produce less hydrocarbon. It is usually priced more expensive but will be helpful to minimize the unfriendly kerosene odor.
2. If you see or find any spilled or dripped kerosene off the outside of your heating unit then you should wipe it as soon as possible. This will also be helpful to avoid fire hazard!
3. While the heater is working, avoid it working at low setting because will create and result an unpleasant odor. Therefore, you can set your heater at high or medium setting.
4. Check the height of wicks regularly. Make sure they are not too low otherwise will create soot as well as unpleasant smell. Each model of kerosene heater has a specific height of wick in order to work properly with low odor. So check and read again manual’s owner instructions, especially on how to set the height of the wicks of your heater (to get proper wick height).

The others ideas to eliminate the kerosene odor:

1. To wipe the spilled kerosene, for better result and to make this step easier,- dampen a cloth with ammonia and try it to wipe up the spills! Naturally, ammonia will be helpful to naturalize the strong odor of kerosene. You can also use bowl and fill it with undiluted ammonia and then put it in your room, tent or garage where you put and operate your heater.
2. If the spills fall into your carpet or any absorbent materials then as soon as possible sprinkle baking soda over the carpet and give it to absorb and dry around 24-hours and then vacuum up!
3. How about for any hard materials like wood floor or concrete floor? You can try using charcoal-based cat litter and try sprinkling it on the surface of your wood floor and give it to absorb completely (around 24 hours) in order to absorb the odor as well and then you can clean your floor.
4. The other idea is by using vanilla! It is also a good natural absorber of kerosene smell! Use it with cotton balls and put them in your room where you install and use your heater.

Image source: Amazon.Com

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