50 useful ways to use wood ash around your home

Wood ash – the powdery substance remaining after you burn wood – is actually pretty useful around your home and garden.

All these years we’ve been tossing the remains from our fire pit and fireplace, but we’ll certainly be saving that ash for some of these applications.

Instead of simply disposing of all that leftover ash, try some of these 30 alternative uses. From silver polish to pest control, you might be surprised by just how many random things wood ash is good for.

Stain Remover

Wood ash made into a paste works for cleaning surfaces much the same way that baking soda does. Although, we would recommend being a little careful with it. You don’t want to get wood ash on white fabric or anything like that.

Cleaning Glass

A wood ash scrub has a little more texture to it than traditional glass cleaners such as Windex. It is perfect for cleaning the glass door of a fireplace or even the dirty headlights on a car. Just don’t try it on your delicate crystal.

Oil Spills

If your car leaks oil on your driveway or garage floor, don’t fret. A little bit of wood ash can help to soak some of it up. It will absorb the oil before it permanently stains the concrete.

Needpix - JHGUSA
Source:

Needpix - JHGUSA

Relocating Ants

It’s clear that ants really hate wood ash, yet it’s not toxic enough to kill them. If you have a troublesome anthill in your yard, sprinkle a pile of wood ash on it. The ants should evacuate and move on to another location.

Making Cheese

Cheesemaking is an art form and something all cheese-makers understand is how beneficial wood ash is. Many kinds of cheese don’t grow well in acidic environments. A layer of wood ash prevents the growth of unwanted organisms and off-flavors.

Increasing Soil pH

If the soil in your garden is too acidic, wood ash can work to change its properties. It’s an alkaline substance, so sprinkling it on the soil will help to balance things out.

Food Seasoning

Very small amounts of wood ash can be used to season foods – and it’s being used in upscale restaurants. So while you’ll want to be careful, it might be worth looking into if you like smoky flavors.

Outdoor Fertilizer

Use wood ash in your yard or garden as a natural fertilizer. It still contains tons of minerals from the trees even after it has been burnt down to ash. Not to mention, it will help keep away the pests without any toxic side effects. A circle of wood ash around plants such as lettuce will keep any slugs from coming close.

Pixnio - Cade Martin
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Pixnio - Cade Martin

Saving Seeds

Storing seeds in wood ash works to prevent fungus and insects from arriving. It will keep them viable for a very long time. In the old days of agriculture, saving seeds every year was crucial if you wanted to stay alive.

Potash Leavening

Another food application of wood ash is as a leavening agent. Before baking soda was invented, many Europeans processed wood ash into potash. Many traditional baked goods recipes list it as an ingredient.

Making Compost

If you live in a rural area, a common problem is that animals such as bears can show up to check out your compost pile. Sprinkling wood ash on top of it will help to reduce the possibility of any unwanted visitors while also increasing the quality of the compost.

Creating Cement

It won’t have quite as strong of hold as regular cement. However, wood ash cement is an easy-to-use primitive construction material. You can combine it with terra cotta. Check out this video for more information.

YouTube - Primitive Technology
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YouTube - Primitive Technology

Raising Farm Animals

Dusting a chicken or turkey with wood ash is a natural treatment for fleas as well as other annoying insects. The dust bath sounds counterintuitive, but it will actually provide a nice coating for all of the feathers. The birds will be less likely to acquire parasites afterward.

Pixabay - KRiemer
Source:

Pixabay - KRiemer

Homemade Soap

The first soaps were made with a mix of wood ash, water, and animal fat. It’s thought that the recipe was discovered by accident when humans began cooking over fire. At some point, they realized just how useful the simple combination was.

Melting Ice

If your driveway and sidewalks get slippery in the winter, don’t worry. Wood ash can help with that. Spreading it over icy surfaces will go a long way towards melting the ice. You just have to be careful not to accidentally track any ash inside afterward.

Pottery Glaze

Wood ash has been used since ancient times as a glaze for pottery. The first wood ash glazes appeared in China around 3500 years ago. If you are into making pottery, why not try it out?

Wikimedia Commons - Mashkawat.ahsan
Source:

Wikimedia Commons - Mashkawat.ahsan

Manage Pond Algae

If you have any garden ponds or aquatic plants growing outside of your home, it’s important to keep the algae under control. One tablespoon of wood ash per 1,000 gallons of water will help to reduce algae growth while providing the plants important micronutrients.

Outhouse Deodorizer

Not many houses still have outhouses. However, if you own a rural property or a cabin that isn’t attached to the grid, you might. Tossing wood ash in a composting toilet will significantly reduce the stinky smell. This is good to remember when camping too!

back_road_ramblers
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back_road_ramblers

Polishing Silver

Get your towel slightly damp and add a little wood ash to it. Scrub the silver with the cloth and it will come out looking sparkling new in no time. Ash can quickly reduce the tarnish of old pieces.

Extinguishing Fires

Something avid campers all understand is just how useful wood ash is for putting out campfires. Bury your fire in wood ash before you leave the campsite to extinguish all of the remaining coals. There should be plenty of lying around!

Skunk Odor

If you or your dog have some bad luck and end up getting sprayed by a skunk, wood ash is here to rescue you. Coating the body or fur in ash and letting it sit for a few hours before taking a bath will help to neutralize the smell.

Needpix - skeeze
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Needpix - skeeze

Preparing Wild Foods

Wood ash was used by Native Americans to leech the tannins out of acorns in order to make them edible. They aren’t the only people to ever do it though. Several cultures throughout history have prepared foods using wood ash. In Iceland, they use it to make Icelandic moss edible.

Beekeeping Basics

Bees are in a vulnerable state right now so we have to do everything we can to protect them. Why not help them fend off potential invaders? A circle of wood ash spread around a beehive will prevent the ants from going in after the honey.

Pixabay - PollyDot
Source:

Pixabay - PollyDot

Primitive Acupuncture/Tattooing

There is evidence that wood ash combined with acupuncture was the basis for some of the earliest forms of injury treatment and healing. Technically, it was also the first form of tattooing. Wood ash was inserted under the skin at the site of injuries to treat them.

Insect Repellant

Wood ash spread around the dark corners and cracks of a home can help keep the cockroaches out. Just be careful that your pets don’t stick their noses in it.

Wound Cleaning

Wood ash is a good antiseptic and if spread on a wound, it can disinfect it. There are also studies that show it can speed up tissue repair and healing time. It is definitely a useful thing to have in your toolkit.

Air Freshener

Similar to how people place a box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors, wood ash can do the same thing. Try leaving a dish of it in areas of your home that you want to deodorize, such as the kitchen. It works best if there are still a few decent-sized chunks still in with the ash as well.

Natural Desiccant

In the same way that wood ash can absorb odors, it can also dehumidify. A small open jar of it placed inside a humid cabinet or closet can help prevent any mold from forming. Mold needs moisture to thrive.

Ash Toothpaste

We’ve watched a lot of survivalist shows over the years and seen a lot of people scrub their teeth with wood ash. It makes your smile pretty black temporarily, but after you rinse your mouth out, your teeth should be left looking nice and clean.

We’re going to stick with our Crest Whitestrips, but using items like charcoal on teeth is becoming more common.