Do you have wood ash at home?
And you don't know what to do with it?
When we heat ourselves with a fireplace or a stove at home, this is often a question we ask ourselves.
Finally, it was... because here is a list of very practical uses. Indeed, the benefits of ash are numerous.
I tested most of these uses and I can tell you that it really works!
Me who stupidly threw the ashes in the trash, now I know what to do with it.
And so can you, once you discover these 14 uses for wood ash. Watch:
Place the ashes in a place where only birds can go. Dust baths allow them to eliminate parasites on their wings. And it also works for chickens. Check out the trick here.
Spread the ashes in a wide circle around each foot of your rose bushes. They will deter snails and slugs from attacking your plants.
Mix the wood ashes with your compost in small quantities. They will enrich it. But do not put too much so as not to make it too acidic. Your compost will love it!
Also discover: 5 Natural and Free Fertilizers For Super Healthy Plants.
Lawns love ash which is rich in nutrients. Wood ashes contain 10-25% calcium, 1-4% magnesium, 5-15% potassium and 1-3% phosphorus. A perfect cocktail! Sprinkle it directly on the lawn in small quantities.
Mix ashes with water to form a paste. With a sponge, you can scrub dirty dishes and clean the worktop. You can also rub this paste on the glass of your wood stove or that of your fireplace insert.
It also works for traces left by glasses on wooden furniture. You can also use this paste to polish and shine silver objects. Be careful, this mixture is abrasive. So use it with care and remember to put on protective gloves. The effects of ash on the skin can be irritating.
Is wood ash good for tomatoes? The ash is rich in potash, calcium and silica. And tomato plants love it! Put some ash at their feet to help them grow. Plants, like the black nightshade, appreciate it too.
Is it slipping in front of your house because of the ice? Put some ash on those slippery passages. It doesn't take much for it to be effective and prevent a fall. Very practical if you have steps in front of the door.
Ash is also very effective in melting ice quickly. Why ? Because ash is naturally alkaline, which melts the snow. And if there is a ray of sunshine outside, the dark color of the ash generates even more heat which melts the ice even faster. By the way, I tested this trick this winter on my driveway and it worked really well.
The ash prevents algae from growing in the water. You don't have to put in a lot to make it work. A simple tablespoon of ash for 3800 liters of water is enough! Very useful when you have to take care of a body of water or a pond in the garden.
To remove bad odors in the shoe closet, put ashes in a rag or an old T-shirt. Place this bundle of ashes near the shoes.
To remove bad odors from your dog, sprinkle his coat with ashes and then brush it. No more bad smells, especially if you wash it with a special shampoo before.
You can also do laundry with ashes. It's a bit long, but it's possible! The ancients used carya ash. Find out how here.
Sprinkle ash around your fruit trees:apricots, peaches, cherries…stone fruits love it! Just like apples that suffer from bitter pit, a problem that affects some varieties including Bramleys.
When you have a nasty infestation of aphids or other crawling insects, thoroughly wet your plants and sprinkle them all over with sifted ashes. Leave on overnight and rinse off in the morning. All insects will be dead or gone. It works great on willow and tomatoes.
You can also use wood ashes to prevent an infestation of fleas and ticks or to drive them away and avoid bites. Sprinkle ash over the area needing treatment. The critters will not last forever! I regularly spread it on the pieces of wood that I store behind my house. And I already treated the yard because of the fleas that had infested my poor dogs!
A big thank you to Jocelyne who kindly shared with us her tip for recycling wood ashes. She uses them to remove traces of hair dye left on the skin:
"When I dye my hair and there are traces left on my skin after rinsing, I remove them with ashes. I wet a corner of a dishcloth, I dip in ashes and I rub the marks on the skin. I rinse it off and it's streak free. It works where nothing else does."
