Fireplace ash: discover how many ways you can use it for housework

Wood ash - that is the stuff that remains from the fire lit in the fireplace or in a stove fueled only with pieces of wood (not pellets or other combustible materials) - is a substance that can be very useful in various ways at home.

Its most common use is in the garden, where it is mixed with the earth to correct acidity, but it can be useful in other ways in everyday life. With a little patience, you can obtain lye with which to prepare soap. Ash also can be used as an abrasive paste for cleaning metal objects, and more. Read on to find out how you might use your fireplace's ash:

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• To melt the snow on pathways instead of salt: cold ash can help tires to grip the ground, and the potassium salts contained in the ash itself are sufficient to melt the snow when it is not too cold.
• To absorb odors: A cup of ash can work just like baking soda and coffee grounds to absorb unpleasant odors in enclosed spaces such as pantries or even the fridge.
• To remove engine oil or gasoline stains from the driveway (concrete or asphalt): sprinkle the area to be cleaned with ash, leave it there for a few hours to absorb the oil and then sweep it up with a broom.
• As a deterrent for snails and slugs: Ash is a natural desiccant, which for animals with a large amount of water in their body, such as snails and slugs, is sufficient to act as a barrier.
• As a desiccant, you can use containers scattered around the humid rooms of the house to absorb moisture.
• To correct the acidity of the soil: wood ash can give the soil potassium and other elements useful in the development of different types of plants (although not all types), and also serves to correct the acidity in the soil itself.
• To create lye with which to make the soap: you need to simmer ash (which is dusty, without debris) and water, then wait 12 hours for it to cool and for the solid bit to sink to the bottom of the pot. All the liquid on the surface, once properly filtered, will be the lye to be used to make soap.
• For polishing silver and metals: mix ash with a little water to create a slightly abrasive paste to use for polishing metal.
• To control algae growth: If you have a pond or pool, pour some ash into the water, and the potassium in it will encourage other plants to compete with the algae.
• To put out a fire: Just like sand, pouring cold ash over a flame will suffocate it.

Did you know any these uses for ash?