We were surprised by how many uses there are for wood ash! Some are simple and others are crazy-clever. Read on!
Make lye water out of ash. You can boil 2-3 spoons of ash (clean white/grey fluffy ash) with water and then filter it with a coffee filter.
Lye water is a great cleaning agent and sanitizer for clothes, floors, windows, silverware, plates, and even rust in marble. You can also make lye by adding the fluffy white ash in a cheesecloth
This is more or less the idea of the process but it’s best you practice safety and obtain more information on the subject before you carry out the actual lye making process. It’s dangerous and lye is caustic.
In a bucket with holes on its base, you add the cheesecloth and ash, and hang it somewhere high. Add the water. Underneath, place another clean bucket to collect the lye. The lye has a brownish colour, so you remove the bucket when clean water starts to sip through.
Test the lye by adding a fresh egg in the liquid. If the egg floats, the lye is good to go, if not, repeat the process.-For use in soap making.
Ash was used for many years in farming. It recycles the natural nutrients back into the earth. It can be used as compost but does not include Nitrogen. It aids in the increase of the earths PH level which in return, aids in the growth of the plants. (But because of the ongoing increase of the PH level, not all veg and fruit thrive from it. eg potatoes).
It strengthens plants that love calcium, such as tomatoes, vineyards, beans, spinach, peas, avocados, garlic etc. Even rose bushes. You can add 1/4 cup ash before planting.
Animals hate ash. You can rid your garden of insects and various parasites, such as slugs and snails.
You can rid yourself of ants. If you throw some ash in their colony, they will be forced to relocate, as they can’t move the ash.
Spread some ash in the corners of the house, or dark spots of your cellar etc. For as long as there is ash, no mice/rats, cockroaches or insects approach.
MORE
charcoal collected within the ash, can be used as a filter.
*Charcoal in metal containers can be used to remove humidity in cellars, cupboards and under sinks.
*You can put a fire out quickly by throwing ash over it.
*It can be used in wounds, to kill bacteria and aid in faster healing. Melting hand made soap in lye water and rinsing a wound with it without rinsing over it with clean water.
*Ash contains salt, and can therefore melt ice.
*The charcoal collected within the ash, can be used as a filter.
*Charcoal in metal containers can be used to remove humidity in cellars, cupboards and under sinks.
*You can put a fire out quickly by throwing ash over it.
*It can be used in wounds, to kill bacteria and aid in faster healing. Melting hand made soap in lye water and rinsing a wound with it without rinsing over it with clean water.
*No fridge? No worries! You can preserve your fruits and vegetables for many days, even years, by digging a hole in the ground and filling it with ash. Add your veg and fruit, ensuring enough space between them, so that they do not touch each other, or the muddy ground. Seal the hole with a piece of wood, and you let it be.
*In the olden days, to preserve the fresh rennet, they added it in a bone animal horn, filled it with ash, sealed it with mud and hanged it from a tree. This ensured the rennet lasted for many many years.
And Even More Ideas:
Donna says: I have used ash directly on plants such as cabbage to keep cabbage worms away. Works great! Also helps keeps aphids at bay.
Carmen says: If you get stuck in the snow or on ice throw down ashes, your car will walk right out works better than sand, salt or kitty litter.
Who knew, right? But that is not the end of it. There are actually even more uses for wood ash over on Humble Lore. The author has researched the subject extensively and also tosses in some warnings that may seem obvious but have to be stated. RE: Do not eat wood ash or drink lye water! *wink*
Now, go do it!