I have some of the expensive 5 gallon jugs from home depot. I have read where it is “illegal” to use the bulk stuff from the gas station (with dye?) in your kerosene heater. Back in another state where I used a kerosene heater all the time it was allowed and cheap.
Now I just have it on hand for emergencies so the expensive stuff is okay. But I can’t imagine there is that much, if any, difference between the grades. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to buy a blue container and find a station that sells it to check it out.
The article said “space heater” and what comes to mind was the long fan forced jet burners, I use several at work all the time and they are fed number 1 diesel. We never fuel one while its running. But the modern kerosene or Kerosun brand named heaters use a pull out fuel container, you can take it out while the unit is burning and I have done that many times.
Its like a one gallon or larger fuel can with a special valve at the bottom that only opens when its inserted in the heater.
And when adjusted properly they can heat a large area fairly well, its when the wick gets bad or when water gets in the fuel they smoke bad, and you must have fresh air in the room. A heater most greeners won’t approve of.
Mineral spirits works fine, although some prepackaged stuff may have some water in the container.
Don't know what part of this country you are in and each area seems to do things differently, but I live in NY with the Jersey border close by, and in this area stations sell K1 kero (clear, heating grade.) Don't know if they dye the kero where you are, but heating grade kero is K1 and is clear (at least around here.) They will typically have it labeled 'not for vehicle use' because there is no road tax on it (here.) Before diesel suppliers routinely 'winterized' their product for cold climates, diesel drivers would mix kero with the diesel in their tanks, but now (again, around here) you can't 'legally' do that because the kero they sell is 'not for road use'. Wallyworld and other such sell bottles of 'lamp oil' usually containing citronella for tiki torches and without for lanterns and such.
Several stations also sell off road diesel(again, no road tax and definitely not a kero replacement) for farm tractors and diesel generators and the sometimes necessary back up supply for your oil furnace. Start of every winter I get 10 gal of off road just in case I mess up on my fuel oil delivery.. The vehicle fuel diesel is undyed and is a yellowish color, the off road stuff is an obnoxious red color (you find that out when it spills on your leg...)
Probably more information than you wanted ;-)