Why kerosene was an important element in the life of Soviet people

The unspoken slogan of a person living in the USSR was: “Use everything that is at hand.” Indeed, at that time there was a stable shortage in the country, so almost everything was used in everyday life.

The Soviet economy successfully used kerosene, which is an odorous liquid. Let's figure out what it was used for.

Control of parasites

Kerosene has been used successfully to remove lice. It has also been used as a means to help control bed bugs. For this purpose, floors, bedding and hard-to-reach places in the apartment were treated. However, kerosene was not used in its pure form. It had to be mixed with laundry soap, mothballs and ethyl alcohol, and then infused.

Lamp fuel

Previously, in every home you could find a kerosene lamp, which was fueled with kerosene. Of course, there was also electricity, but in case of interruptions, such a lighting device was a real salvation. Interestingly, today it is also used in homes as a backup lighting source.

Cooking food

As is known, communal and simply poorly equipped dwellings without gas supply were widespread in the Soviet Union. In turn, electricity was not cheap, so not everyone could afford it.Instead of tiles, people used the so-called primus - a device designed for cooking. Kerosene served as fuel. After the 50s, such devices began to be replaced by kerosene gases. However, only wealthy people with a separate apartment could afford them. Massive and solid kerosene gases were capable of heating 4 liters of water in 1 hour, and for that time this was a really good indicator.

Pest Control

In the USSR, kerosene was widely used to control garden and vegetable pests. In early spring, before the first buds appeared on the trees, the gardens were pollinated with kerosene emulsion. This contributed to the destruction of eggs and larvae of pests. To prepare the emulsion, it was necessary to mix laundry soap, flammable liquid and water.

Thus, kerosene was widely used in the everyday life of Soviet people. It was used to control parasites and pests, was a raw material for lighting fixtures, and could also be found in production in workshops.