Uses for ash

Ash; We all have it....has anyone found something useful to do with it?

Keep it to dump on the ice in the drive way. works great

I dump it in my garden and turn it in. That is what farmers did before commercial lime was introduced. It increases the Ph.

yup...compost it.

done that too..does work well

Compost

I use to put all my ashes on the garden . But we bought a soil tester and we was to high of a ph. We have tested it now for 3 years in a row and we are getting close to being back to where we need to be. So be careful on how much you put on.

Thus why compost instead

does it help melt the ice or just add traction?

It seems to help melt the ice.

1. De-skunk pets. A handful rubbed on Fido's coat neutralizes the lingering odor.

2. Hide stains on paving. This Old Housetechnical editor Mark Powers absorbs wet paint spatters on cement by sprinkling ash directly on the spot; it blends in with a scuff of his boot,

3. Enrich compost. Before the organic compound get applied to soil, enhance its nutrients by sprinkling in a few ashes, says the host of radio's You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath. Adding too much, though, ruins the mix.

4. Block garden pests. Spread evenly around garden beds, ash repels slugs and snails.

5. Melt ice. TOH building editor Tom Baker finds it adds traction and de-ices without hurting soil or concrete underneath.

6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassiumm to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth,

7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting,

8. Clean glass fireplace doors. A damp sponge dipped in the dust scrubs away sooty residue.

9. Make soap. Soaking ashes in water makes lye, which can be mixed with animal fat and then boiled to produce soap. Salt makes it harden as it cools.

10. Shine silver. A paste of ash and water makes a dandy nontoxic metal polisher.

Doesn't this mean it gets tracked into house and car?

Works good as speedy dry (oil clean up in garage)

How do you compost it? Do you just mix it with your regular green matter and let it rot down? I have been just throwing away into a spare piece of ground with trees in it to sort of keep the weeds down, it does not seem to do much to the soil as the grass there in the summer seems the same as the rest without the ash. Would be nice to find something useful for it, I like the idea of using it for soaking up spilt oil, but not for driveways as too messy. Interesting though!

Yes, which is why I only use it when disasterously icy.

I keep a small amount of sawdust for the smae purpose...works great and is much less messy. Easier to clean.

Buy lard, grow mint, and make your own mint scented soap!

(I just spread it on the lawn instead of buying lime.)

If you have a local farmer with chickens they love and use it to clean up as funny as it sounds. many birds have trouble getting little pests out from under their feathers and the ashes do the trick for them. The chickens think it is quite the treat for them.

If it really works well for cleaning up oil its going right under the chainsaw in the garage!

It goes in my compost pile.

Also spread it on the lawn.

Used it in the driveway once before,never tracked in a worse mess in my life.

I dig a hole and fill it up every year cover it in the spring with in a few years grasses start to grow over it you never knew it was their

it would make mess i would think.