How2Day: Indoor Uses for Kerosene Lanterns

Kerosene lanterns have plenty of use indoors. Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
Kerosene lanterns are safe to use inside and are an appropriate option to electric lights. Kerosene lanterns emit a bright glow, and are inexpensive to use, as a quart of kerosene will produce a light that burns for around 45 hours. Kerosene lanterns have a multitude of uses inside the house, making them both functional and decorative.

Kerosene lanterns make a fitting bedside lamp, as they emit a soft glow, strong enough for reading but not strong enough to jolt sleepy heads wide awake. Plus, kerosene lanterns are ideal for short bouts of reading before bed. You can dim a kerosene lamp to a lower level of light for readers who stay up pretty late, so that it doesn't disturb spouses or siblings who are already asleep. Kerosene lanterns are suitable to have beside the bed because you can grab them on the way to the bathroom if you wake up in the middle of the night with a need to use the facilities.

One of the major benefits of a kerosene lamp is its mobility. You truly can move it around as needed, without having to worry about batteries or cords. For example, if you're searching for something under your bed or in the back of your closet, you can grab a kerosene lamp and take advantage of the soft glow that it emits to brighten the space for you. You can stick it in a front window of your house to greet members of your household who will be arriving home late or place it on a table next to the bath tub for bubble reading.

A kerosene lantern is an indispensable item for rooms that you intend to look antique. Kerosene lanterns are so evocative and iconic of the times when people lived without electricity, that adding such a lamp to any room instantly makes it seem more old fashioned. Kerosene lanterns come in a range of decorative styles, materials and shapes, and an authentic antique lantern like this will adorn the room in a strategic manner.

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