After enjoying the warmth of your fireplace during the cold winter evenings, what is left of it is nothing but ash. Many people do not know that there are brilliant uses for fireplace ash, so they throw it away.
Fire ash can be used in numerous ways, and the reason for this is not farfetched.
Ash contains different nutrients like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium and some trace amounts of copper, manganese, sodium, boron, zinc, iron, and molybdenum.
If you are looking for brilliant uses for fireplace ash, we’ve got you covered on that.
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8 brilliant uses for fireplace ash you didn’t know
For making soap
We used soap for quite many things, from washing dishes and clothes to taking a bath. The list is endless.
Before you throw that ash from your fireplace away, think of using it to make soap, which you can use for various things. This will also help you to save on the cost of buying soaps.
The good news is, using fireplace ash to make soap is not an arduous task. All you need to do is follow simple steps.
The summary of the process is to boil the ashes in soft water to create lye. The lye, otherwise known as potassium hydroxide, is mixed with vegetable oils or animal fats to yield soft soap.
If you desire firmer bars of soap, you can add a small quantity of salt to the lye and oil mixture. You can look up a comprehensive guide on making soap from ash.
To neutralise acidic soils
One of the brilliant uses for fireplace ash is neutralising acidic soil. If you are not cultivating acid-loving plants like peppers, blueberries, and the like in your garden, you will need to maintain an appropriate pH level in the soil.
Your fireplace ash comes in handy here. Ash is naturally very alkaline, with a pH of 10-12. Adding ash to acidic soil can help neutralise the soil’s pH.
All you need to do is get a pH testing kit and find out the pH of your soil. A pH of 6–7.5 is usually recommended for plants that do not thrive in acidic soil.
If the pH is less than 6, you apply the wood ash till it falls within the recommended range.
As a rule of thumb, no more than 25 pounds of wood ash should be applied to 1,000 square feet of soil.
Used as abrasives
The ash from your fireplace is somewhat abrasive and can be used to polish tarnished silverware, cloudy glass, and dull metals.
The process involved is quite a simple one. Take a cup of ashes and add a small amount of water to make a thick paste.
Put on gloves, and spread the paste all over the item you intend to polish. Wait for some minutes before wiping off the paste with a clean cloth.
And finally, use some elbow grease to shine. Voila! You have polished silverware.
To remove odours
Due to the alkaline nature of ash, it is great for trapping and neutralizing foul odours.
You don’t need to do anything special here; just get the ash in a small bowl and place it in a smelling room.
After a few days, replace it with fresh ashes.
For fire control
No one wishes for a fire outbreak in their home, but some things are bound to happen even when we least expect them.
If there’s a fire outbreak in your home, and a fire extinguisher, sand, or soil is not available, what will you do?
This is when the ash from your fireplace that you would have thrown away can be put to good use. The ashes from a good air-tight barrier can help extinguish the fire flames.
Check thoroughly that there are no hot spots left so that the fire won’t later reignite. No doubt, this is one of the best uses for fireplace ash.
To melt snow and ice
It is no news that the use of rock salt to melt ice and snow during the winter season has resulted in environmental pollution.
Every year, tons of rocks are dumped carelessly on the roads, which travel into water bodies.
This, unfortunately, increases the salinity level of fresh water, thereby harming plants and animals which are not used to it.
A good way of avoiding this occurrence is to substitute rock salt with wood ash. Wood ash is a safe and natural option for melting snow and deicing.
There are numerous advantages to using wood ash instead of rock salt. Unlike rock salt, wood ash won’t corrode concrete surfaces or metal, nor will it damage plants.
At a time when there’s a clamour to save our planet, opting for an eco-friendly salt like wood ash in melting ice and snow will contribute to environmental sustainability in no small measure.
To make a dust bath for chickens
One of the common uses for fireplace ash is making a dust bath for chickens. If you are interested in having a poultry farm, the hygiene of your birds should be a top priority.
Every bird needs to bathe in dust to stay clean. If you are rearing chickens, you can make a dust bath for them with the ash from your fireplace.
A dust bath is necessary for hens as it enables them to clean their feathers and skin and remove parasites such as lice and mites.
You can mix the wood ash with sand to make a fabulous dust bath that will benefit your chickens.
To prevent bugs
The ash from your fireplace that you want to throw away can be used to keep away bugs.
Slugs, snails, and ants can wreak great havoc on the plants in your garden in a short period. This is where wood ash comes to your rescue.
You need to sprinkle the ash evenly around your plants, but make sure it doesn’t touch the plants. Also, reapply after every rainfall. This is necessary for effective results.
Did you like learning about uses for fireplace ash?
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