Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Home-Made Firelighters

roaring open fireChestnuts roasting on an open fire... but how can you get the fire started without those stinky, expensive fossil-fuel-based firelighters? I loved this idea for home-made firelighters made entirely from stuff you would otherwise have thrown away.

Fill the compartments of a paper egg box with tumble-drier fluff. Melt waste wax1 in a double boiler (fill a saucepan with water and bring it to the boil, then place a glass or metal bowl over the top and melt the wax in that, so the wax doesn't get the direct heat from the stove, but only the indirect heat from the boiling water). Pour some wax into each egg compartment and allow to set.

I've tried it and they work just as well as shop-bought firelighters. You only need one to start a fire. Oh, and if you can start a fire without any artificial aids - keep it to yourself. I'm pyro-deficient myself, and usually leave the firelighting to Ed, anyway. There's no call to make me feel more inadequate than I already feel.

1. I used the wax from burnt-out candles, or you could use the wax from cheese if you buy wax-coated cheese.

19 comments:

Helen said...

Mel,
I don't understand how this is frugal if you need to have a tumble dryer to get fluff from....
Helen

Anonymous said...

Great idea, however I don't own a tumble drier - what other fluffy stuff could I use (I hope that doesn't sound odd!)??

Melanie Rimmer said...

You don't run the tumble drier just to get the fluff, helen louise. It's frugal because it uses waste materials. If you don't have a tumble drier, you could ask your neighbours to save their drier fluff for you. Or you could use shredded waste paper instead. You could use sawdust (your own, or ask for some from a friendly carpenter). Or use combings from your dog. We don't buy eggs but I have a few egg boxes that were given to me so I used one of those, but I could just as well have used toilet roll tubes with one end folded closed, or something else. You could use waste cooking oil instead of candle wax. Use your imagination. There are lots of things you could use.

Joanna said...

I love this ... as you say, something from nothing, the kind of nothings that end up thoughtlessly filling big holes in the ground.

I like your explanation of why it's frugal ... I'd only add that anything you do is better than doing nothing - so this is a good thing to do even if you feel you can't live without a tumble drier (which is probably most of us).

Chile said...

Hey, this sounds like a perfect use for all the fringey threads I have to cut off the edges of rags after washing. Also, I have a small bag of threads clipped off from sewing.

Now my only problem is no egg cartons. LOL

welsh girls allotment said...

you can also use pine cones - they burn like crazy !!

Artela said...

Apparently a mix of sawdust and used cooking oil works really well...

...however...

...oh, sorry, you said not to mention it ;-)

heather t said...

I'm stuffing my dryer fluff into a toilet paper tube. You can also use paper towel tubes for longer ones. I first got the idea from http://burbanmom.blogspot.com/ Her recipe doesn't call for wax, so it's actually more frugal this way for me. Thanks for the tip!

Gordon Mason said...

Tumble Drier fluff??? Forsooth woman. A true frugalist would use belly-button fluff

Gordon Mason said...

Tumble Drier fluff??? Forsooth woman. A true frugalist would use belly-button fluff

Anonymous said...

Between two pieces of split wood, crumple up 3 or 4 pieces of newprint (free advertising). Top with lots of little twigs (every windstorm brings down a bunch,save them). Split bits of scrap lumber are good for the next level. It's all a matter of small and light to larger and heavier. That said, my wood stove doesn't always cooperate. It's very mysterious.

Yellow said...

Belly-button fluff and earwax? More like tumble-drier fluff and wax from Babybel to be honest. That said,I don't have a real fire, so guess what you're getting for Christmas. Only kidding.

Unknown said...

This'll certainly work, but my first thought was "or learn to set a fire properly"!

That way, you can use your waste wax to make more candles... with wider wicks so you don't end up with so much waste wax!

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit rubbish at lighting fires too. I never seem to have enough of the twig/kindling sized stuff and even the bits I have don't seem to want to burn always (damp or green perhaps?). I've used up 30 matches at a time before succumbing to fire lighters, which, while evil, can work even when you have no kindling.

newspaper is evil though. it leaves a right mess that can clog the few flames that do catch.

I am very disturbed that so many of you have tumble dryers!
And I don't think any of my used cooking oil would be thick enough...

Artela said...

To anonymous...
...actually, tumble drying can be more efficient depending on how you use it. If, like me, you subscribe to the tumble dry, take out and shake while still warm and hang rather than getting an iron out for all those items it's _very_ efficient and uses less power than line drying followed by ironing.

I haven't touched my iron in over 6 years now.

sorbus said...

another idea for fire lighters
rip waste paper into tiny bits with scissers or as in our house use all the contents from a paper shredder- lovely thin shreds that catch fire easily. junkmail and all unwanted mail may be used!

Anonymous said...

can you tell me how much wax is needed and be more spesific like
do i fill the egg space with fluff
then pour wax in or etc.

thanx i love this idea
if it works

Louise | Italy said...

Hmmm, at risk of being boring, I'd echo everyone's concern about the tumble drier. I think anyone who can't be bothered to hang their washing out to dry isn't going to bother making their own firelighters! Try dried wine corks soaked in white spirit. Or newspaper with dried twigs. Another related point : if your chimney is a tall one you may need to 'pop' it before you start - i.e. make a fast hot fire (e.g. two pieces of scrunched up newspaper with all the vents open) to heat up the air in the chimney and encourage a draw. When the newspaper has burned start with the fire proper. Just a thought.

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