The wood fires are starting to crackle this winter. In addition to warming, they can help you on a daily basis thanks to the ashes.
With the energy crisis, wood heating is on the rise. In addition to fireplaces, stoves are multiplying, whether they work with logs or pellets. The latter can be more economical, and sometimes even greener than other facilities, fuel oil for example. Another advantage compared to other energies, part of the waste can be reused in many ways. Wood ashes can indeed render several services in household chores.
The best known is gardening. Wood ash retains a significant amount of calcium, magnesium, potassium, silica or phosphorus. Nutrients that can benefit certain plants, especially fruit trees and vegetable plants. They also repel slugs, snails and certain insects. LHowever, the ashes are not suitable for all plants, especially acidophilic plants, heather earth, or blueberries. You can, however, add it to your compost to speed up the decomposition process. Please note that treated wood ashes are to be banned.
Ashes for cleaning and degreasing
The mineral richness of the ashes also makes it an excellent cleaner for some surfaces. However, care should be taken to sieve them beforehand to extract large debris. Soak newspaper or a rag in water and then dip it in the ashes. You can use it to clean your windows. Leave on for a few moments then rinse and dry with a microfiber cloth. By making a paste of ash and water, you can also make your silverware shine or scour the dirtiest items.
Wood ashes also have strong odor absorption capacity. A small container can therefore be placed in the refrigerator, as in a litter box. It is also a natural way to scrub the coat of a pet smelly, while repelling fleas and ticks. Here again, it is necessary to ensure that the burnt wood had not been treated.