Moving into an old Victorian we saved from demolition as
newlyweds it was not uncommon to come downstairs on a winter morning to find
the thermometer reading in the 50’s or below.
At that point we had a fireplace insert in our kitchen fireplace that my
husband would start in the mornings and then we’d rekindle when we returned in
the evenings from work. Ahhh, we were
young and in love, it was so romantic! A
Fireplace Insert for the uninitiated is similar to a wood stove but it fits
entirely in the fireplace and has an electric fan that turns on and helps
distribute the heat into the room.
Once our first baby arrived I had to learn to keep a fire
burning all day long and “stoke the fire” Thus this blog post’s title is the
mantra all of my children learned. Upon any winter time departure or arrival
home stoking the fire was the last thing I did before leaving and the first
thing I did upon return.
In the close to 20 years I've lived in my Victorian house
we've used various methods of heat as we upgraded and renovated our home. Currently we primarily use a coal burner (in
the garage) which connects to tubes that supply our water based radiant floor
heat. Throughout the years, having a wood burning fire in the house has been a
mainstay. Recently used just to make the main living room really cozy and warm
and at times when electricity has failed it created a wonderful mini-cabin in
our house as we all huddled in the room by candlelight.
Over the years, my husband and then the first 3 of my
children all became adept at starting a fire in the fireplace insert. A good,
strong fire that would keep burning and cause the blower fans to kick on within
15 minutes. I, on the other hand, could
keep a fire burning, but starting one anew was my albatross. It would be pretty embarrassing if my 10 year
old son ever found out that I didn't ask him to start the fire because I
thought it would be fun for him; but that mom really couldn't do it. Oh, how many tightly wound newspaper “logs” I
created only to be frustrated.
Alas! A friend asked
me if I could hold onto my dryer lint as she wanted to make some fire starters
for camping and with the size of my family she knew I did lots of laundry. I
collected the lint all Spring and then she told me she didn't need it,
apparently she had enough and was told not to use it in her new wood stove
anyways, so didn't need any extra.
Collecting the lint had been a comforting exercise in recycling, I
couldn't throw it all way now.
After saving the toilet paper and paper towel tubes I
created my own firestarters and they were a success! I can now start a fire. No one else in the house uses them (such
experts) but they've worked out great for me as a fire-starter-challenged
person.
How to make easy fire starters using items you already
collect:
- ·
Cardboard tubes from toilet paper (or paper
towels)
- ·
Dryer lint (the stuff you scrape out of the lint
trap)
- ·
Candle wax
1. Maintain your cardboard tubes near your
dryer and fill them with lint as you do your laundry. Put them in a bag or
drawer to reduce dust.
2. Once you have a bunch (I usually get
about 6 before I make a batch), light a pillar or jar candle and let it burn
for at least an hour so there is plenty of melted wax.
3. Stand all tubes upright on wax paper (on
a cookie sheet or other firesafe surface).
4. Drizzle the melted wax onto one end of
the lint stuffed tube.
5. Let the wax dry.
6. Next time you need to start a fire (in
your fireplace, firepit, etc.) simple open the flue and light the waxed end of
this starter. Let it flame, then
surround with some kindling and small pieces of wood.
