When your cozy fire in your chimney Or hearth is over, you may only think about putting out the flames and ending the night. Then, once the ashes have accumulated, you can dispose of them completely to ensure the safety of your fireplace. But stop! Before you completely throw away your ashes, you should know their many different uses. From cleaning your pots and pans to being a helpful gardening agent, fireplace ashes are more useful than you think. Here are nine creative uses for leftover fireplace ashes inside and outside your home.

Safety Precautions to Follow

Before enjoying creative uses for leftover fireplace ashes, you should follow a few safety precautions. Most importantly, make sure your ashes have completely cooled, which may take several days.

“The ashes retain heat for up to 48 hours and even though they appear ‘lifeless,’ they can still pose a fire hazard,” says Gilbertson. “When you pick up or move ashes, you introduce airflow, which can provide the oxygen needed to reignite the remaining embers. This can create a flare-up, increasing the risk of fire.”

Even after 48 hours of letting your heated ashes cool, Fuenmayor says he still takes safety precautions with this little tip: “Even after 48 hours, I recommend stirring the ashes and waiting a few more minutes before transfer them to a storage container. Embers can sometimes be buried under other ashes, and a quick stir allows you to check if there are any pockets of heat remaining. »

Once your fireplace ashes have completely cooled, here are the steps to follow for safe handling and proper storage:

• Wear a dust mask.
• Use a metal chimney shovel to collect the ashes.
• Store collected ashes in a metal container only with a tight-fitting lid.

Household uses of fireplace ashes

Surprisingly, fireplace ashes have many uses in your home! Here are four creative ways to reuse your ashes inside your home once they have been cooled and properly stored.

DIY cleaning solutions

Believe it or not, the ashes from your fireplace can be used as a DIY cleaning solution! Due to the high alkalinity content of ashes, they are great for removing dirt and grime from certain surfaces like your pots and pans. All you have to do is add a little water to the mixture.

“A mixture of ash and water removes stubborn dirt without scratching the surface and is gentle even on non-stick and stainless steel surfaces because it is naturally abrasive,” says Gilbertson. “Simply mix water and ash to create a thick paste and apply it to stubborn stains. Then you’ll want to scrub it with a sponge or toothbrush.”

Other areas you can use your homemade ash cleaning mixture for include your fireplace glass doors and metal surfaces.

Pest control

Are you dealing with unwanted ants in the house or other pesky insects, especially in your houseplants? Then it’s time to use your leftover ashes as a DIY pest control solution.

“As a pest control measure, ashes can also be sprinkled directly onto the leaves of plants prone to insect damage,” says Fuenmayor. “This works especially well for plants like cabbage, where pests often hide under the leaves. The alkaline ash deters insects and disappears naturally after a few rains without harming the plant.”

Absorption of odors

Not surprisingly, ashes also make a great natural air freshener. If you’re dealing with foul odors around the house, primarily in your refrigerator, Fuenmayor recommends running your ashes.

“Keep a small jar of ashes in the refrigerator or pantry to absorb odors, similar to baking soda. The carbon in the ashes neutralizes odors without any added chemicals. Simply replace the jar every few weeks to keep it fresh,” he says.

DIY soap making

The next time you start to panic about running out of soap, just turn to your fireplace. Wood ashes have a fantastic ability to create lye, an alkaline chemical compound found in soap.

To make homemade soap with your leftover ashes, follow these steps:

1. Wash the ashes: Remove any remaining potassium salts in the ashes by filling a bucket with ashes and rainwater (ideally rainwater). Then let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. The ashes should fall to the bottom of the bucket.
2. Scrape the detergent from the top.
3. Use your soap!

Outdoor Uses for Fireplace Ashes

Your interiors aren’t the only place that can benefit from leftover ashes; your exterior also has some uses!

Gardening

If you’re having trouble getting your soil’s pH to the right level, ash can help. Ashes are excellent for raising the pH in flowerbeds after sprinkling them. Additionally, ashes are ideal for composting as they help increase potassium levels.

But when it comes to using ashes in the garden, here are some tips to follow so you don’t compromise what you’re growing:

• Never apply ash to seedlings or anything that has just been planted.
• Use only untreated wood ash.
• Always wear protective equipment like gloves and a face mask.
• Check your pH levels first so as not to significantly increase the alkalinity of the soil.

Tick ​​repellent

The last thing you want to find after a fun outdoor activity is a tick. But luckily, ashes can act as a tick repellent in your garden!

All you need to do is sprinkle ash around your garden following the tips in the section above to repel ticks. Not only does the ash make the soil too acidic for ticks to benefit from it, it also dries it out, easing the problem before it even begins.

Ice and snow management

When it’s freezing and snowing outside, chances are your household is very active. You can make your fireplace work twice as hard by using ashes to help manage the weather outside your home to melt any items left on your driveway or driveway.

“For even better results, consider mixing the ashes with a little salt or sand to enhance their melting properties,” suggests Gilbertson. “Also keep in mind that using dry ash works best. If it’s wet, it won’t be as effective. And remember to reapply after heavy snow or rain to maintain traction and security.”

Emergency and other uses

If we haven’t yet convinced you to save your fireplace ashes, perhaps these emergency situations can do the trick. You can save the ashes from your fireplace and keep them in case of an emergency, like putting out a fire or cleaning up an oil spill.

If you go camping or light a fire in your outdoor fireplaceStored ashes can be your best friend if you ever need to put out a fire quickly. This is because the ashes smother the flames to prevent oxygen from entering and causing an even bigger flame.

And if you’re working in the garage and accidentally spill a lot of oil, all you have to do is sprinkle a few ashes on the mess. Ashes have the ability to absorb excess oil more easily than water, making your floors safe to walk on again!