DIY Tiki Torch Fuel: A Cleaner Alternative

Fiery tiki torches add to the atmosphere of our backyard soirees, all the while helping to keep irksome insects at bay. They are commonplace these days, and most of us have some stowed in the garage or storage. However cool and useful they may be, they typically get used a couple of times and then are largely forgotten.

One of the problems with tiki torches is that they require tiki fuel to burn. That requires that 1. we remember to buy tiki fuel when we are out and about, and 2. we go to the trouble of refilling them when necessary. After that, we could start getting into replacing wicks, but that’s another issue for a later date.

The problem for those who can remember tiki fuel and do use their tiki torches regularly is that those store-bought fuels have some questionable ingredients we may not want our loved ones breathing in.

So, in an effort to get us all using our tiki torches again and doing so with a more ecological and healthful mindset, here’s a bit on how to make tiki torch fuel at home with cleaner ingredients.

Wait! What’s Wrong with Regular Tiki Torch Fuel?

Source: KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2/Youtube

Most store-bought tiki torch fuel is refined from crude oil, so it is a petroleum product. Petroleum products like gasoline have hydrocarbons, which are harmful to our health, both when breathed and especially when swallowed. Hydrocarbons in the lungs can cause chemical pneumonia, and they can be fatal.

Unfortunately, in addition to this danger, tiki torch fuel often comes in containers that resemble juice bottles and drink jugs. Children may mistake them for such, and that’s a big problem.

Making Tiki Torch Fuel Is Really Easy

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For the torch to burn, we only need a naturally flammable liquid medium, and most households have a couple of them around at all times. Vegetable oil will work as will isopropyl alcohol. Both of these are much cleaner to burn than petroleum products. Our tiki torch fuel will begin with a couple of cups of either of these to work as our carrier fuel.

But, with tiki torches, it isn’t only about the flame. Most of us burn them for the mosquito-repelling aroma. So, the other ingredient(s) will need for making homemade tiki torch fuel. For those of us into DIY cleaners and home remedies, these common essential oils might already be hanging around the house.

We most commonly associated citronella with tiki torch fuel, but there are plenty of other fragrances that help with running off mosquitoes. Cedar and eucalyptus are effective, and herbs like rosemary, lemongrass, and lavender are great as well. Add about 100 drops to each cup of fuel.

You Can Also Have DIY Tiki Torches

Source: Household Hacker/Youtube

Tiki torches aren’t all that expensive, and they are easy enough to find. However, it’s cheaper and easier to make them at home. A repurposed bottle or a mason jar can do the job with no problem. They just need a lid with a hole for the wick to pull through. In fact, the wicks can be DIY as well. Cotton twine or even an old cotton T-shirt will work.

Making our own tiki torches with repurposed materials helps us get the best of three worlds: having a tiki torch to keep pests away, keeping our family safe, and using sustainable methods. We don’t have to spend money and use up raw materials to get what we need. When we think this way, the planet is better off for it, and we still get to be comfortable, a combo that is totally possible.

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