Any ignitable item can start a fire, which might not require looking around much. Household items can be your last resort when you want to create a fire, which you can find without raising a finger. You might carry these items as a contingency when camping, which can be helpful in emergencies.
The next time you think about tossing your unused household items away, consider how helpful they can be when starting a fire. Or, you can find a secret repository in your garage for safe storage on your next camping trip.
You don’t have to rack your brains when looking to start a fire. This article discusses six essential household items to help you start a fire.
1. Cotton Balls
Understanding how to start a fire at home for some acquaintance before you head out is prudent. Cotton, an item that may lie around the counters, drawers, or first aid kits, can be handy. It’s highly ignitable and combustible, so much so that it can ignite from heating.
Tampons can be perfect substitutes, although denser and tricky to ignite. Their compacted forms press oxygen out of the material, challenging ignition and sustained combustion. However, they share similar properties as cotton and can get blazing if you break them apart.
You can even start a fire with cotton without a lighter. Rub a flint and steel together to create a heat spark. Use this spark on your cotton and bellow slightly to ignite it.
2. Dryer Lint
A clogged dryer exhaust can cause lint accumulation; cleaning it should never be an afterthought. So the next time you want to do that, consider getting a container to collect and store it instead of tossing it away in the litter bin.
Lint comes from fabric and yarn and can almost resemble cotton, although it can be denser. Igniting it using flint and steel or a lighter or match can get you some fire. However, it may require rubbing a little inflammable substance like hand sanitizer or petroleum jelly for quicker ignition.
Your lint should also be dried out to facilitate ignition. It can be slightly more moistened, rendering burning impossible from the dryer.
3. Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer has a pretty high alcohol content, and alcohol being inflammable can offer a perfect basis to start a fire. It can ignite on its own without rubbing it on anything. Pour it on the ground and ignite—you’ll have your fire blazing viciously.
But hand sanitizer alone may not offer sustained combustion because you’ll be in the dark again once it’s burned out. It’s best to pour it on anything that can burn, such as cotton or wood. A piece of paper can also be an ideal medium, but you can add more material to keep the fire alive.
It does help to be cautious while pairing hand sanitizer and fire. The two can be close pals but may get out of control and cause significant harm. Hand sanitizer can be volatile and combust in a vaporized form, resulting in accidental burns.
4. Water Bottle
You don’t always have to toss your used water bottle away. You can reuse your bottles as igniters; it’s one way to counter the plastic landfill problem. A bottle lying in your house to help you start a fire is also the most economical way to burn wood outdoors.
But not every bottle can start a fire; only a few do. Your water bottle should be spherical and entirely transparent. It should also be smooth, non-deformed, and filled with a clear liquid, preferably water.
You can start a fire by stretching your water-filled bottle at the sun’s complete exposure. Ensure that you direct the concentrated light beam to a combustible material like a tinder net or cotton. You may rub a little hand sanitizer on your cotton for quicker ignition since this method may take quite a while before you get your fire blazing.
5. Paper
Starting a fire with paper can be a breeze if you have a lighter or matches. The process isn’t intricate; ignite your lighter and burn your paper. Paper has a high propensity to burn since it’s soft and easily ignited.
You might need loads of paper to keep your fire burning sustainably. However, adding a few dry sticks or wood to your fire should get you enough camp or backyard fire.
Remember to pick disposed of paper carefully to avoid putting your most prized documents in flames. Besides, starting your fire where the wind is less disruptive is prudent since that could blow away burning paper and start unwanted fires nearby.
6. Magnifying glass
Like the water bottle, a magnifying glass can concentrate the sun’s beams to cause ignition. It’s the everyday household items you might frequently use to read small text or magnify small objects like watch screws to make them appear bigger and more visible.
Stretching your magnifying glass in the sun can concentrate and direct light to a more focused point. Such a narrowed light beam can ignite anything, especially paper, woodchips, or a tinder nest.
Bottom Line
Before throwing your unused household items away, please consider reusing them as items that can start a fire. Ensure you have some secluded storage to store your lint and water bottles for future use. Starting a fire at home isn’t rocket science if you have the right items around you.
However, it helps to understand how you can create a fire with these items and sustain it for extended periods. Some items might complement each other, while others may burn solely. So, it helps to determine what you may need to get your fire burning.
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