Many reasons why kerosene has become a daily fuel to be used in cookers and heaters is due to the low costs, easy availability and so on. These products, having been around for over a century now are common fuel. Kerosene has a specific gravity of 0.8 and ignites at almost only 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
While kerosene does not have much popularity as a domestic fuel, it still has its uses. The smell of kerosene can be nauseating and quite sickly sweet. Some tips on removing this smell can great help those who use it regularly.
There are not many ways to remove this smell. Once it saturates the area it is difficult to remove the same quickly. The use of Febereze, Odorban or DeSolvit does not remove the smell of kerosene. While products like OdorGone are really stupendous and can remove the smell of kerosene totally. It is a bio-degradable element and leaves the environment naturally clear of the smell.
Do not drop on the heater as this will inflame the whole stove if the wicks are low and at low temperatures cause a strong smell to pervade. You need to be very careful while fueling your heater. Never allow any fuel to drip on to the heater. Fuel accumulated on the outside of the heater or even in the drip pan can cause an unpleasant kerosene smell once the heater gets hot.
Kerosene smells can be detected in dry-cleaned clothes as the solvents used to clean clothes contains a percentage of kerosene. You can vacuum the clothes and remove the smell. The vapors are sucked out and the clothes and leaves them smelling clean. You can place the clothes in a warm part of the house where they will be rid of the odor quickly as the vapors get heated and removed from the clothing.
When you handle kerosene obviously some of it gets into your hands. Now to remove this smell, you can use a facial cleanser or cheap, thick shampoo which will have a lot of soapy froth and elements to get rid of the smell.
You can remove small traces of the left behind smell of kerosene with a hand sanitizer right after the shampoo. All remaining smell is removed.
When you spill some kerosene in your car floor or backseat, the smell is all pervading. You can spray or sprinkle some water and then after a few hours vacuum it. The smell goes and there is no stain left behind.
Using paraffin oil can remove the smell of kerosene as it has the quality to cut off the smell and make the area odorless.
You can rub some alcohol which will remove the smell surely with its own smell. This alcohol to be used is isopropyl rubbing alcohol which can be bought at any of the retail stores. An ounce of it reduces up to a gallon of kerosene aromas.
If not available, use a mix of mineral spirit which when used in a proportion of 1:3 removes the odor completely. To filter out the odor run kerosene through a filter for carbon; this will reduce the smell. Another way is to add a cup of limestone powder to one gallon of kerosene and let it settle down to the bottom of the kerosene. After 3-5 days filter the kerosene and you will find the odor gone.
I have found, through trial and error, that Ozium is the best thing to get kerosene smell out of car. I used 2 boxes of baking soda along with carpet deodorizer, let it sit a day then vacuumed it out. Smell still there. Next step was to clean everything with vinegar. Smell still there. Next step was 91% alcohol straight. Got most of the kerosene smell out in front but not trunk where it was spilled. I finally found Ozium at Family Dollar yesterday. Instructions say push button for 1 second. I pushed for 3 seconds in main part of car and 3 seconds in trunk. I came back to car 3 hours later and did the same thing. Kerosene smell gone.