What is Lamp Oil?
Lamp oil is a liquid petroleum product that is designed to burn cleanly in brass and glass oil lamps, torches and lanterns. In the same family as kerosene, lamp oil has been further processed and refined so that it doesn’t produce as much harmful smoke, soot and other pollutants. Lamp oil can be used for everything from emergency indoor lighting during a blackout to soothing lamp light for a summer evening’s barbecue. When homes used to be lit solely by lamps, the fuel they burned was usually kerosene, similar to gasoline or charcoal lighter fluid. Kerosene, however, wasn’t ideal, since it creates a lot of black soot that darkens the glass globes of lanterns and dirties windows, walls, fabric and anything with which it comes in contact. Manufacturers, under pressure from eager consumers, decided to distill kerosene further so the fuel could be burned indoors without as much inconvenience. Now you can find “ultrapure” or “ultraclean” lamp oil at most supermarkets, outdoor suppliers and
