Fireplace ashes: 10 uses to know
Once upon a time, many years ago, before industrial detergents appeared in stores, clothes were washed with bleach .
Chimney ashes: caustic soda
The lye was made from wood ash. If you have a fireplace or stove at home, you definitely can’t miss it. Instead of throwing it away, it might be wise (even to save money, in these very difficult times) to use it as our great-grandmothers did, i.e. to wash clothes.
The “ingredients” for making laundry detergent are certainly not complicated. Indeed, in addition to the ashes, just get some simple and humble tap water. Of course, since these components are involved, the cost of bleach is practically negligible.
What do you need to prepare it?
You will need: approximately 200 grams of wood ash; a liter of tap water; an old frying pan with a lid; a wooden stick/ladle; a pair of gloves; a fine cloth to filter everything.
With these doses you can get about 230 milliliters of bleach and about 250 grams of ash paste. Obviously, if you have a lot of ashes you can also increase the doses, also to have a little in reserve. In this case, it might be a good idea to use a kilo of ashes and five liters of water.
The first operation consists of sifting the ashes to eliminate any impurities. Then we place the ashes in the pot we have and cover them with water.
At this point, simply bring to a boil then simmer for at least an hour and a half. Of course, the longer the boil, the more water evaporates and the more concentrated and powerful the caustic soda.
In any case, it is best not to exceed two hours.
The flame should be weak and from time to time you should stir it with a wooden stick or whatever you have available. The pan should be covered, but it’s best to leave some space for steam to escape.
Before using it, bleach must sit for at least twelve hours.
Put on the gloves
After resting, the caustic soda (which is the liquid part) must be poured into another container, preferably glass: this must be done using filter paper or a sieve covered with a fine cloth in linen or cotton. During this operation it is advisable to wear gloves.
At the end of this operation you have two products: caustic soda, which can take on a different color depending on the wood burned to make the ashes, and ash paste, which can be decanted and stored in a glass jar. . Both products last a long time, but as a precaution, it is best not to exceed a year from preparation to use.
Bleach can have several uses: diluted in water and transferred to a spray bottle, it can be used to clean washable surfaces, such as bathrooms and tiles. Half a glass in a liter of water is enough.
You can also use half a tablespoon of bleach in the washing machine to increase the effectiveness of the detergent. Another use is to wash floors by diluting a glass of bleach in a bucket of water then scrubbing in the usual manner.
Ash paste is excellent for cleaning the bottom of pots, plates and various dishes, especially when they have more stubborn dirt.
Fireplace ashes and their various uses.
More generally, fireplace ashes can be used: as soap , added with olive oil; keep snails away ; clean and polish stainless steel ; enrich garden compost ; as a natural fertilizer : small quantities of ash can rebalance overly acidic soils ; melt snow or ice ; clean cutlery ; prepare grape molasses .