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In winter, nothing better than a good wood fire in the fireplace or the stove!

But afterwards, what to do with the wood ashes?

Do you know that ash has many uses?

It can be used in the garden in many cases or as a cleaning product at home.

Surprising but effective ... and 100% free!

here is 11 secret uses of wood ash that everyone should know. Look :

1. As a scouring powder

Wood ash is an excellent scouring powder. Why ?

Because it is gentle enough not to damage surfaces and effective in dissolving grease.

It perfectly cleans stainless steel surfaces, sinks and countertops.

Even ceramic or enamelled hobs, ceramic washbasins, enamelled steel bathtubs can be cleaned effortlessly in this way.

To use ash as a scouring powder, it must first be sifted finely. You can use a tea strainer for this.

Then just take a damp cloth and dip it in the ash and then pass it over the surface to be washed.

It only remains to rinse thoroughly with water.

However, do not use ash on aluminum or chrome surfaces: these do not tolerate ash.

Plastic surfaces or objects should also not be cleaned in this way as they are susceptible to scratching.

To discover : Here's How To Make Your Home Scouring Cream.

2. Clean up the money

A simple and inexpensive way to clean up silver is to use ashes.

With very fine sifted ash, you can rub and polish silver jewelry, cutlery or any other silver object.

Once it's done, rinse them thoroughly and dry them well. You will see, your silver items will shine like new again.

Here's a little extra advice: to prevent your silver items from becoming dull too quickly, put chalk in the box in which you keep them.

It removes moisture and prevents precipitation of silver sulfide. Two other simple tips for cleaning silver items are baking powder and toothpaste.

To discover : How to Clean Silver Jewelry? My Economic Council.

3. Brush your teeth

Brushing your teeth with ash was part of the daily life of primitive people.

But it was also very common in Europe until the beginning of the post-war period.

Ashes, when very finely sifted, have 3 benefits for the teeth.

On the one hand, as a cleaning agent, ash is abrasive.

Then, it provides many minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Finally, thanks to its alkaline pH, it helps neutralize acid attacks in the mouth, responsible for cavities.

So much so that you can easily do without other ingredients to make your toothpaste.

To brush your teeth with ash, just sprinkle ash on a lightly moistened toothbrush. Then you can brush your teeth as usual.

But remember: a thorough rinsing of the mouth is necessary. It is necessary to prevent fine particles of ash trapped between the teeth from damaging the delicate skin of the gums.

If you are making homemade toothpaste, you can also combine the ash with other ingredients.

To discover : My Homemade Toothpaste Recipe For Healthier, Whiter Teeth.

4. Clean floors, laundry and dishes

In the old days, we didn't just wash with soap. Ash was also used.

Thanks to its high potash content, it perfectly dissolves grease and oil stains.

To make an ash cleaner, you need to put 8 tablespoons of ash in a liter of cold water.

After 6 hours, the pH value increases to reach 8.5 to 9.

You can then collect the liquid carefully. The ash remains in the container as sediment.

Undiluted, your ash cleaner can be used to clean floors, as a dishwashing liquid or as a mild detergent.

If you let the ash macerate longer (20 hours or more), the pH value increases further to reach 10-11. You then get a super strong detergent.

But be careful: the pH of your cleaning product or your ash detergent must not exceed 12, to avoid chemical burns.

For your own safety and for a more effective cleaner, it is best to check the pH value with test strips.

Single test strips in the pH range 1-14 are available in supermarkets or cheaper here online.

The more accurate the tapes are for reading, the better.

To discover : I Made my Laundry with Wood Ash! My Opinion on Its Effectiveness.

5. Clean the stove glass

Cleaning the soot that has burnt on the glass of the stove or the insert of the heating chimney is a hassle.

Of course, there are special cleaning products for cleaning insert or stove glass on the market.

But why spend your money unnecessarily?

Just soak crumpled newspaper in cold ashes, then rub with it for a clean window quickly and easily.

You will be amazed at how well it works!

Finally, run a piece of dry newspaper and remove any remaining traces.

You now have a breathtaking view of the flames!

To discover : How To Clean The Glass Of A Very Dirty Insert WITHOUT Chemicals.

6. As a fertilizer

Thanks to its components such as potassium and lime, wood ash can be used to improve and loosen acidic soil.

The roots of plants grow better, deeper and thicker.

The plants can therefore feed themselves better, resulting in healthy and abundant growth.

The only precaution to take is not to put too much ash!

To discover : The 7 Best Do-It-Yourself Garden Fertilizers.

7. Fight against parasites

Ash is also perfectly suited for controlling pests.

Against cabbage slugs, leaf beetles and earth fleas, a thin layer of wood ash can be scattered around the plant.

You can also use the ash to remove parasites from your chickens.

Other natural alternatives to conventional sprays also help in the elimination of aphids.

To discover : The Natural Insecticide All Gardeners Should Know.

8. Weed

If dandelions, thistles, or nettles are too invasive, you can use wood ash to naturally weed your garden.

It's still better than using an expensive chemical weedkiller!

By covering root weeds with ash, they no longer grow back in the spring.

Be aware that among the weeds, we find dandelions, plantain, thistle and horsetail.

Instead of fighting weeds, you can just eat a lot of them and incorporate them into your diet.

They will provide you with many vital nutrients! To find out which plants you can eat, here are 24 easy-to-recognize edible plants.

9. Eliminate algae and moss

In hot and humid places, such as terraces, balconies, stairs or greenhouses, algae and moss grow easily.

To remove them, apply a thick layer of ash and spray water on it.

Leave on for a few minutes and scrub with a brush and hot water.

There you go, you've got rid of the invasive moss and algae.

To discover : 2 Tips For Removing Moss from the Patio (Revealed By a Gardener).

10. Make cut flowers last longer

Freshly cut flowers for bouquets or flower arrangements last longer if the cut stem heals quickly.

It works great for plants that are rich in sap.

For example, amaryllis, pelargoniums, aralia, orchids, but also useful plants such as aloe vera and asparagus.

To do this, soaking the cut stem for a few moments in the ashes is useful to make them last longer.

To discover : The Tip To Make Vase Flowers Last Longer.

11. Clear snow

Before, we used to accumulate so much ash by heating with wood that we used it to clear snow from the roads.

Today, this method of use is not recommended due to pollution and negative effects on nature.

But if we use low-polluting ash from wood whose origin we know, there is no problem in clearing the garden path with it.

To discover : 2 Natural And Effective Tips To Melt Ice Storm.

Additional advice

To have good quality ashes, you must follow a few simple rules:

- the origin of the fuel is decisive to avoid the presence of heavy metals.

- Use only natural and untreated fuels of which you know the origin.

- Prefer hardwoods with deciduous leaves (beech, oak, ash, fruit tree) because they are less resinous.

- Be careful, charcoal and barbecue briquettes are not suitable for making good ashes. Moreover, it is better to avoid them when preparing food. Why ? Because they contain heavy metals such as chromium, lead and harmful phosphates.

- It is also best to avoid fuels containing mineral oil found in printed newspapers, recycled paper, cardboard, wax residue, plastics and rags.

- On the other hand, natural materials such as leaves, sawdust, thin dry branches and birch bark can be used without problem.

Your turn...

Have you tried these tips for using ash in the home or garden? Tell us in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to hear from you!

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Also to discover:

Wood Ashes: 14 Secret Uses No One Knows About.

Wood Ash: The 25 Best Uses Nobody Knows About.