kerosene is good to use. a little safer than gas. but it will not CLEAN out the small passages that accumulate itty bitty, tiny, unseen particles that screw with a carb.
i bought a can of carb cleaner at the local flaps to soak them in. plastic, gaskets and the sort need to be removed since they will be eaten away.
i've had people tell me only a few hours, overnite, and up to a few days before the carb cleaner starts attacking the metal itself. guess i'll have to experiment before i screw up a good carb.
just my 2 cents worth