PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

OS firelighters

Options
24

Comments

  • knithryn
    knithryn Posts: 233 Forumite
    Having got OH a firesteel for Xmas pressie, I looked into homemade firelighters.
    Cotton wool balls smeared with vaseline work really well even in outdoor windy conditions, one ball staying alight for about 3 minutes outdoors. We'll be trying these out later in the year to see how well the flame from one of these lights other materials.
    Hope this hint helps someone...
  • Caterina
    Caterina Posts: 5,919 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    Old candle stubs help fire to blast and so do dried citrus peel - basically you save all your orange, tangerine and lemon skins, dry them on a radiator or just near the cooker and then add them to the fire, they catch fire beautifully and also perfume the air.
    Finally I'm an OAP and can travel free (in London at least!).
  • Kevie192
    Kevie192 Posts: 1,146 Forumite
    You can melt your old candles down and dip pine cones in the wax. Attach a tube of tightly rolled paper in the wax to light and there's your own firelighters!

    You need to dry the pine cones out for a while first though, on the radiator or in the airing cubpoard etc. will do.

    Kevin x
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 17,769 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    The citrus peel sounds a fantastic idea! I like the idea of using something that would otherwise be wasted, and having a delicious smell as an extra benefit.

    I have found that newspaper doesn't burn as easily as it used to... according to my dad, the local free papers are better than the nationals (and apparently the Times is particularly bad ;))
  • How do you use the lint in your drier? I save mine and then stuff remnant sewn birds and christmas decorations with it, but this also sounds cool?
  • zarazara
    zarazara Posts: 2,264 Forumite
    I use plastic milk bottles.
    "The purpose of Life is to spread and create Happiness" :j
  • msgnomey
    msgnomey Posts: 1,613 Forumite
    stuff the lint into an empty loo roll middle, pack it in as tightly as you can, when you want to use it push out of card (or leave in if you prefer) and light
    Go hopefully into each new day, enjoy something from every day no matter how small, you never know when it will be your last
  • cobbingstones
    cobbingstones Posts: 1,011 Forumite
    Hi all

    Any ideas?

    Many thanks
  • SailorSam
    SailorSam Posts: 22,754 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    What you do is save all your cardboard tubes from loo rolls and stuff them with things like sawdust and lightly screwed up newspaper, when you're ready to use them get some meths and cottonwool. soak a couple of walls of cottonwall into your loo roll and light it.
    Weren't you in the boy scouts.
    Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
    What it may grow to in time, I know not what.

    Daniel Defoe: 1725.
  • What do you need firelighters for? Other than a barbeque I suppose.

    Just use plenty of newspapers and a bit of kindling, gets most things lit.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.