A wood fire is a great way to warm up. Granny loves to lounge by the fire with a good book and enjoy this warm welcome when the weather is gray. On the other hand, many chimney owners will agree: wood ash is a real plague. They are difficult to clean, fly in all directions, we do not know what to do with it and we find ourselves after the winter with pounds of ashes. Nevertheless, know that you can keep your ashes (for example in a metal pail preferably covered to avoid catastrophes) and reuse them in an ingenious way. For these tricks, always wait until the ashes have cooled down and wear gloves is always advisable.
1) To remove bad animal smells
Rub your pets coat with a handful of ash to remove odors that are too stubborn.
2) Make your pavement look like new
If you notice splashes of fresh paint on the floor, put some wood ash on it to absorb it and then rub it with your shoe or broomstick.
3) A better compost
To reduce the acidity of your compost, you can sprinkle some ash over it, but do it only when the compost is ready for use, otherwise the ash will react with the nitrogen you are trying to get.
4) An Insect vegetable free garden
Sprinkle ash around your garden plants to prevent slugs and snails from venturing there. It would also work with the beetles
5) Promote the melting of ice on the ground
Ash works just as well as salt, even better! Sprinkle it on!
6) To control the growth of algae in a pond
Potassium strengthens plants that compete with algae. A simple tablespoon mixed with 4000 liters of water can make the difference against algae. They will grow slower.