21 Uses for Your Fire Pit Ash

Ever wonder what all of those fire pit ashes are good for – if anything? Well, so have a lot of people over the years and it turns out ashes are pretty useful for a lot of everyday problem solving!  Here are 21 common uses from our friends at Fire Pit Art.

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If you spend hours enjoying your fire pit, you know that the ash can add up fast, but did you know that there are many versatile uses for wood ash? Not only can reconstituting your wood ash save you money, but it is also a fantastic tool in an emergency or survival situation. Curious about the many applications for this powerful byproduct? We have listed 21 uses for your fire pit wood ash.

1. Ice Melt

Yes, you read that right! Wood ash contains natural minerals that have the same impact on ice as salt does. This makes wood ash an excellent alternative to chemical de-icing salt, a potentially toxic compound to children and pets. A bonus is that this alternative will save you money!

2. De-Skunk

Phew-ew! Has a skunk ever sprayed your poor unsuspecting pet or unguarded house? That smell can be overwhelming and almost impossible to remove thoroughly! So instead of panicking, grab some wood ash and sprinkle a little on your pet or the area of your home/yard to rid yourself of the smell. The wood ash will quickly absorb the scent!

3. Cleaning Glass Stovetops/Woodstove glass

Is your stovetop in need of a little extra TLC? Try mixing a few tablespoons of water into a cup of wood ash to create a paste. This mildly abrasive concoction works as an abrasive and will remove stains and cloudy soot from your glass.

4. Cleaning Headlights

If you’ve been scrubbing with Windex and a towel for an hour and your headlights still won’t come clean, you might want to opt for some wood ash. Make a rubbing paste from wood ashes and water, scrub, rinse, and watch the cloudy road grit and grime wash away!

5. Cleaning Oil Spills

Time to retire that bag of kitty litter and replace it with all the extra wood ash you have! Wood ash easily and effectively absorbs oil spills and stains on concrete. A bonus? It’s free!

6. Good-Bye Algae

Are you tired of your poor pond, fountain, or water feature becoming overrun with algae? Consider adding a small amount (1 tablespoon per 1,000 gallons of water) of wood ash to your water. Wood ash is full of potassium, a compound that naturally slows algae growth and gives your other plants a fighting chance to grow and flourish.

7. Garden Fertilizer

What is wood ash? Well, essentially the essence of a tree. Wood ash holds all the valuable trace minerals found in a tree’s bark. While wood ash doesn’t contain carbon or nitrogen, you can get these compounds from compost. The University of Vermont recommends about 5 gallons of wood ash per 1,000 square feet of garden. However, keep in mind that wood ash will also raise the pH level of your soil; because of this, it is not the ideal choice for acid-loving crops like blueberries or potatoes.

8. Lye, Anyone?

Lye is an essential ingredient found in natural soaps. To make lye with wood ash, boil the ashes (softwoods, such as pine and spruce, are not ideal for lye making as they are too resinous to mix with fat) in a little soft water; rainwater is ideal, for 30 minutes. Give the ashes time to settle to the bottom of the pan and then skim the liquid lye off the top Take your wood ash and mix it with water. Finally, allow it to soak.

Please note: Lye is VERY alkaline and will burn your skin if it comes in contact with it. Please educate yourself on how to handle lye safely before making it.

9. Smelly Fridge?

Wood ash is an excellent absorber of smells and is a perfect substitute for baking soda in your fridge. Place some wood ash (ideally, with a few small pieces of charcoal) in a bowl and place it in your fridge. The ash will absorb any unpleasant smells.

10. Dehumidifier

Is the humidity level high in your area, or is an area of your home prone to moisture? Well, wood ash can be an excellent option to help absorb the excess water in a room. Simply place a cup of wood ash into a bowl and let it sit in your humid space. A cup of wood ash is an excellent way to prevent mold growth in a damp basement, cupboard, or bathroom.

11. Antibacterial

Activated charcoal has antibacterial properties making it an excellent option to apply as part of your daily skincare routine to help prevent breakouts. Additionally, activated charcoal might be beneficial to apply to cuts or scrapes as it has an antibacterial effect by absorbing harmful microbes to help prevent infection.

12. Removing Hair Dye from Skin

Dyeing your hands in the process of dyeing your hair can be very frustrating. No one enjoys scrubbing their hands for hours simply to walk around for days with dark stains lining their fingers. Luckily, wood ash can remove dye stains from the scalp or skin. Just dab a damp cloth in some wood ash, scrub at the dye spots, and watch them disappear!

13. Hair Removal

There is a rumor that wood ash can help remove unwanted hair. Women have been using it for years as a natural wax agent. An excellent area to try would be your nose hairs. Mix a small amount of wood ash with water, gently rub a thin layer around those pesky nose hairs, allow it to sit for several minutes before gently wiping away the ash with a damp cloth. Before testing this out, make sure to test a small patch of your skin to avoid any reactions. The best part? It’s pain-free!

14. Hasta La Vista Slugs!

Place a small circle of wood ash around your precious produce to prevent slugs and snails from invading your bounty. It is a non-toxic and effective solution and works especially well for leafy produce, such as lettuce and spinach. However, keep in mind that your blockade of wood ash only works until the ash becomes wet, so you will need to reapply the ash regularly to remain effective at keeping pesky slugs out! On the plus side, the wood ash is easy to wash away when you’re ready to pick and eat your produce.

15. Picture Perfect Tomatoes

Are you struggling to produce bright red, tasty tomatoes? Ugly black spots are often the result of a calcium deficiency. Yes, produce needs vitamins too! Wood ash is an excellent option for adding much-needed calcium to your tomatoes. Simply add 1/4 cup of wood ash to your tomato planting hole and rub it into the soil prior to placing your precious tomato plant in its new home!

16. Prevents Frost Damage to Plants

Did you plant early or are not quite finished harvesting, and a late or early out of season light frost is threatening the wellbeing of your plants? Dusting your plants with wood ash before a light frost can prevent damage. Due to its natural chemical composition, wood ash combats frost by lowering the freezing point of water without hurting the plant.

17. Natural Flea, Tick, and Lice Protectant

If fleas, ticks, and lice are prevalent in your area, you can deter these pests from making a home in your pets’ coats by sprinkling wood ash on their fur before letting them go outside.

18. Lawn Fertilizer

Wood ash is full of trace minerals that help keep your grass lush and green! Add a light dusting of wood ash to your lawn and water thoroughly to allow it to soak in. Then, sit back and watch your yard transform into a green oasis!

19. Scrub Those Dishes Clean!

Are you camping and forgot your dish soap? If you don’t have the option of traditional soap, you can sprinkle wood ash and water on your dirty dishes. Rub the ash onto your dirty plates, pots, pans, and forks to remove pieces of leftover food and grease.

20. Go Away, Mice!

Do you have a mice infestation? Pesky rodents are a challenge to remove. However, mice and roaches both hate wood ash. If you sprinkle a small amount in an area they frequent, they quickly move onto greener (less ashy) pastures leaving you pest-free!

21. Chicken Supplement

Have you heard about giving your chickens back the shells of their eggs to eat or providing oyster shells for an extra boost of calcium? Well, wood ash serves this purpose and won’t cost you a thing! High in calcium and potassium, wood ash makes an excellent supplement for helping your chickens stay healthy. Remember to remove any wood ash from bowls that could fill with water to avoid making lye.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Do not over water your plant – Some plants like to be kept very dry for periods of time before being watered (like the spider plant in my example).  These plants will usually show you they need water by exhibiting droopy leaves and possibly a minor amount of browning of the leaf tips.  Once they get to this stage, it’s off to the shower for a refreshing aqua-spa-rejunvination!

Be careful of the water temperature – Just think of climbing into an ice cold shower first thing in the morning.  Yikes!  Your plant may react the same way to overly hot water.  If you’re a person that likes near scalding water in the shower, try backing off on the hot for the sake of the plant or plants.

Be careful not to trip over the potted plant – A good place for the plant is in the front of the tub or shower stall.  The water spray will most often be reflecting off of the shower curtain, the walls and you – creating a softer spray or mist. More importantly, you will always know where the pot is, and will not bump into it, causing you to loose your balance.  If you have any hesitancy remember: “when in doubt, leave it out.”  Better not to risk injuring yourself.

If you have a hand-held shower massager like the Delta Faucet 75700 Universal 7-Setting Handshower or the Peerless 76950 2-in-1 Shower System, make sure the massage feature is not turned on.  Too strong of a water spray can damage sensitive foliage and create unnecessary stress for your little green friend.

You are finally in the shower, and as you lather up the soap, you grumble “There’s got to be a solution to all of this!” You’re right, there is!  It’s an ingenious concept of introducing a recirculating loop sometimes referred to as an on-demand pump. Let’s examine the most unique and energy-effecient of these devices – one with a funny name called the “Hot Water Lobster”.

Funny Name – Serious Savings

The “Hot Water Lobster” is a tested, reliable device that has but one purpose; saving water.  The mechanism gets hard plumbed between your hot and cold water pipes, usually at the furthest point from the hot water tank in your water supply line.  The principle of the device is simple, but clever and dead-on efficient.  A thermostat placed between the hot and cold pipes senses when the hot water in the hot water line cools below a user-determined temperature.  When the once-hot water does get too cool, the valve inside the “Hot Water Lobster” opens to circulate the cooled water into the cold water pipe; thus preventing the cooled once-hot water from being let out of the tap, and down the drain.  Pretty clever, eh?

At this point, a thermo reaction automatically takes place within the water lines and hot water tank.  The hot water from your hot water tank slowly begins to circulate toward the open valve in the “Hot Water Lobster”, and brings the nice hot water right up to the hot water tap where it belongs. When the hot water and hot water tap meet, all is right with the world!  The next person that walks up the the sink or shower, will get hot, or acceptably warm water (depending on how long since the water was used last), and not a blast of ice cold water running down the drain.  All of this ‘magic’ takes place without you lifting one finger, or having to even think about the process.  I call that pretty awesome!

Look, Ma – No Electric

Water circulating devices have been on the market for some time - the “Hot Water Lobster” has been sold since 2003.  Other circulation devices exist, mostly in the form of electric circulation pumps.  The significant difference among these solutions is that the “Hot Water Lobster” requires no electricity.  That’s a very big deal for locations that would be difficult to run electricity to.  No wiring means less expense and more savings for you.  Not only no electrical expense for installation, but no electrical operating expense either.  The water movement is accomplished when a thermo reaction takes place between the hot and cold water temperatures within the water lines.  Saving on electricity is a good thing.  Go green!

Save Water – Save The Planet

As many of us have come to realize that we cannot keep taking from the earth, and wasting our natural resources, saving precious water is a no-brainer.  Why would you want to dump thousands of gallons of water down the drain if it can be avoided?  Now that you know how you can avoid water waste, and have more hot water ready on demand, check out this low-cost solution at http://avoidfrozenpipes.com/ or Hot Water Pronto! Buy the Hot Water Lobster Today! http://hotwaterpronto.com/  Saving the planet by saving water is not only a trendy thing to do, it’s the right thing to do!