STOP Wasting your FireWood ASH! LEARN what we use it for...

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  • čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
  • #homestead #firewood
    We end up with barrels and barrels of wood ash during the burning season, but there are so many things you can use the ASH for. In today's video learn what we use wood ash for on our homestead.
    Clean Wood Stove Window
    Mix some ash with some water and create a paste. It becomes an abrasive cleaner to clean your window. It works surprisingly well
    Cleaning Oil Spills
    Ash can absorb oil spills just like kitty litter can. My husband does all of our car work in our garage and we sometimes get oil spills on the ground, we have been using some cheap cat litter, but why not use what we have on hand and what is for free? By sprinkling wood ash onto an oil spill, it will absorb the oil and allow for an easy cleanup with an outdoor broom and dustpan.
    Repairing ruts in driveway
    Eliminate orders in Fridge/Freezer
    I use baking soda to absorb odors in my fridge, but I just found out that putting a cup or so of ash in a bowl or even a mason jar towards the back will do the same trick as the baking soda.
    Natural Ice Melt
    Did you know you can use ash as a way to melt ice on your driveway or walkway? There are natural minerals in the wood ash that help melt ice. Just be careful if you put it close to your house when entering, it would easily come into your house from your shoes.
    Fertilize Gardens
    If you create a circle of wood ash around your crops this will prevent slugs and snails from crossing into your plant beds. Or dump a bucket on your garden
    Dust Bath for Poultry
    I have so much sand here on our homestead, but I just found out that ash helps treat fleas and other insects, it’s perfect for helping poultry relieve themselves of parasites. Chickens naturally dust bath to help clean their feathers of pesky bugs but give your girls an extra boost by adding some ash to their dust area.
    We publish new homestead videos every Saturday! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss more great videos. Subscribe here- / @homesteadhow Want more HomesteadHow Content? We are Amazon Influencers. WATCH all of our Amazon Videos and see the products we use and review here: www.amazon.com/shop/homesteadhow
    Disclaimer:
    Content here is for educational purposes from my personal journey with the Carnivore Diet. It's not medical advice. I’m not a medical professional. Consult with a healthcare provider for diet or health changes. Information is based on my views and for discussion and learning.
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Komentáře • 7K

  • @Homesteadhow
    @Homesteadhow  Před 4 lety +443

    Please comment below if you recycle your ash and how! Thanks for commenting!

    • @traviseastlick5342
      @traviseastlick5342 Před 4 lety +115

      Ash is basically black carbon which is great for using for tattoo ink and another thing to think about is every single plant leaves a different color pigment in pottery glaze coloring. The actual color that the glaze turns out to be after it is fired would be evidence of what plant you used. I have used and saved marijuana Ash for pottery glaze. You can call it baked twice

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 4 lety +41

      @@traviseastlick5342 whoa, that is really interesting! Way to use every part of that weed!

    • @traviseastlick5342
      @traviseastlick5342 Před 4 lety +24

      @@Homesteadhow waste not , want not 😉

    • @PlanePreacher
      @PlanePreacher Před 4 lety +31

      I spread it in the Garden, on the wood chips around the fruit trees, and on the hugelkultur pile.

    • @zasde35
      @zasde35 Před 4 lety +49

      Drip water trough the ash and you get a very strong base mix that mixed with clean white pork fat and you make soap !
      It takes a bit more but , this is how it works

  • @did4196
    @did4196 Před 3 lety +3495

    Am I a homesteader? No
    Do I have a wood stove? No
    Do I even own a shovel? No
    Did I watch this video to the end? Yes!

  • @westtex3675
    @westtex3675 Před 2 lety +429

    You can also use it to make soap. My farmer ancestors 3-4 generations back would collect lye from ash by boiling ash in some water, letting it settle, & skimming the lye from the top. Then they’d mix the lye with rendered animal fat/grease leftover from cooking, and then boil it down into a thick mush and pour it into a tub and cut the resultant solidified mixture into bars of soap.

  • @jacksonrox
    @jacksonrox Před 2 lety +147

    I have been cleaning these boilers for over 20 years and I would strongly advise you to use a respirator when dealing with fine wood ash particulates in the air when cleaning one of these units. Trust me

    • @wildlifewarrior2670
      @wildlifewarrior2670 Před rokem +1

      @Will Swift trust me Jackson Walden will not trust me

    • @kingagrad3436
      @kingagrad3436 Před rokem +7

      @Will Swift it impacts your lungs

    • @tonsssedell4318
      @tonsssedell4318 Před rokem +4

      @Will Swift My best guess is he initially failed to do so, suffered health issues and was told by his doctor that dust masks are in fact not BS. Or just got tired of that coughing, sneezing and spitting that black coal dust while having a hard time breathing.
      In other words, it's probably safer to smoke while doing this than just inhale ash unmasked. At least if you have filter cigarettes.

    • @damoncox2822
      @damoncox2822 Před rokem

      To all the negative Nancy comments....wood ash when mixed with water,as in your throat and lungs,creates LYE....HIGHLY CORROSIVE AND CAUSTIC.......
      NOW LET THAT SINK IN 🔥🔥🔥

    • @TakeTheRide
      @TakeTheRide Před rokem

      ​@WilliamHelstad It can irritate your lungs, give you emphysema and eventually give you cancer if you breathe in enough of it. You got the internet, Google it. 😊

  • @sylvialindgren6676
    @sylvialindgren6676 Před 2 lety +130

    We keep a bucket of ash in the outhouse to sprinkle into the hole after use. Works great to help decomposition and keep smells down.

    • @flowerchild777
      @flowerchild777 Před 2 lety +4

      That's what I thought he was going to say too. Sadly, no😔

    • @briancarton1804
      @briancarton1804 Před 2 lety +8

      Your shiting me!

    • @MarkO-im7lc
      @MarkO-im7lc Před rokem +13

      Good advice. The way we are going, outhouses will be the norm again. Thanks progressives.

    • @MarkO-im7lc
      @MarkO-im7lc Před rokem

      @@flowerchild777 doesn't work?

    • @sixpackbinky
      @sixpackbinky Před rokem +1

      Wonder if it keeps flies away

  • @jimandskittum
    @jimandskittum Před 3 lety +1423

    Clean windows with it? Sounds like a pane in the ash. That's all I got

    • @rudolfrednose7351
      @rudolfrednose7351 Před 3 lety +16

      Works though.

    • @kenprevatt1267
      @kenprevatt1267 Před 3 lety +7

      Lol

    • @kenprevatt1267
      @kenprevatt1267 Před 3 lety +22

      Free your mind your ash will follow

    • @kenprevatt1267
      @kenprevatt1267 Před 3 lety +8

      @singing bird lmao ty I will keep that in mind but I don’t think I ashed for your input ..Im sorry I couldn’t help myself have a great day it is Ash Wednesday

    • @jamesbowerify
      @jamesbowerify Před 3 lety +10

      Not a pain in the sash??

  • @nunabsnais
    @nunabsnais Před 3 lety +1093

    Ash was used in making cement blocks. That's where the word "cinder" block came from.

    • @Marco-fi6gv
      @Marco-fi6gv Před 3 lety +5

      👍

    • @emilmckellar4932
      @emilmckellar4932 Před 3 lety +11

      You forgot the fly in fly ash. this is something else in the Portland cement process. If only the romans knew this they would not have sent slaves into eruption craters to collect ingredients...ash. Some idiot on CZcams will have a video saying it is brilliant, but so are there people that say the new ghost busters are brilliant.

    • @emilmckellar4932
      @emilmckellar4932 Před 3 lety

      @Self Employed None here!

    • @alecnolastname4362
      @alecnolastname4362 Před 3 lety +1

      @Stanley Weatherfield
      At risk of continueing to creep her out...
      *whistles at her*
      Okay I’m done now.

    • @talideon
      @talideon Před 3 lety +49

      @@emilmckellar4932 The volcanic ash the Romans used had quite a different chemical composition to wood ash and the like, which is why their cement proved to be so much more durable than modern cement.

  • @viscache1
    @viscache1 Před 2 lety +55

    We burn clippings and thinning from the woods and run three burn barrels all Spring and Fall. We end up with about 300lbs of fine white ash. This is perfect for increasing the strength of concrete that we are using on the European wood fired bread oven. What this means is no crumbling or cracking and popping off of bricks over the years as we fire the box for bread and pizza. Any left over goes first to the garden and second to the compost pile. Every third year we mix it with the fertilizer and spread in on the fields before over planting.

  • @Jonathan-sz4lt
    @Jonathan-sz4lt Před 2 lety +14

    I blown away at the ash cleaning up oil in the garage...then the knowledge just kept on coming. Thank you for sharing!!

  • @ser6Ijvolk
    @ser6Ijvolk Před 3 lety +720

    You should really specify, that before using ash as a fertilizer, you should find out your soil's pH level. Ash is alkaline, it will raise it, so if you already have an alkaline soil, it'll make it unbearable for plants and you'll end up killing your garden. Also it depends on what you grow, some plants prefer acidic soil, some alkaline.

    • @michaelcorbidge7914
      @michaelcorbidge7914 Před 3 lety +1

      @@MrJon1157 do you perhaps mean calcium instead of chlorine

    • @Daniela-pr7rz
      @Daniela-pr7rz Před 3 lety +29

      No, he is right about chlorine, it is added to water to kill bacteria.

    • @MikfinityPog
      @MikfinityPog Před 2 lety +5

      Good point

    • @alan30189
      @alan30189 Před 2 lety +28

      @@MrJon1157 if you can help it, never use tapwater to water your plants. While letting it sit for 24 hours to let the chlorine evaporate is good, tap water is not very beneficial to the soil quality and your plants.
      Some people water their garden directly with a hose. The chlorine and any other chemicals in that tap water will kill beneficial microbes in the soil.
      Instead, collect and use rainwater.

    • @jeremyscott6641
      @jeremyscott6641 Před 2 lety +17

      Ruined my raspberry patch doing this, ended up reversing the damage by adding citric acid which really helped

  • @deadspeedv
    @deadspeedv Před 3 lety +1096

    Me an Australian who doesn't even own a heater: Ah yes interesting

    • @Xnei-ui3fp
      @Xnei-ui3fp Před 3 lety +20

      Same here lol. Live in sydney. Bondi beach

    • @paulmitchell6485
      @paulmitchell6485 Před 3 lety +13

      I lived in Sydney and Perth and I owned a heater....and im from Invercargill the southernmost city in the world where it gets to -5. But we call an air conditioner a heat pump cos its only ever used for heat

    • @TexZenMaster
      @TexZenMaster Před 3 lety +61

      As a Texan, I used to wonder what the white stuff was in all these videos. Then, we got a few inches of it last winter and it shut down our whole society.

    • @Slavicplayer251
      @Slavicplayer251 Před 3 lety +4

      no even a would stove? where do you live brisbane? darwin?

    • @FemtoTheFox
      @FemtoTheFox Před 3 lety +1

      same, in NSW.

  • @joelalonde5439
    @joelalonde5439 Před 2 lety +13

    I'm from the Northwest Territories, Canada and we also use ash for vehicles that are stuck in either snow or ice. Just lay a line of ash in front of your traction tires and your slipping and sliding is reduced to pulling you out..amazing..great video.. btw

  • @ChopStickSoSushi
    @ChopStickSoSushi Před 2 lety +32

    hippees at a rainbow gathering in a forest taught me that ash is great to keep the flies away from the poop pit apply a good sprinkiling over your deposited business after you've done your business and it greatly reduses the flies.... I don't know the science behind it

  • @robworch
    @robworch Před 4 lety +395

    when I lived in a Cabin out in Alaska, we threw ash down hole in the outhouse. Keeps the smell down Alot!

    • @shamusmcwright2640
      @shamusmcwright2640 Před 3 lety +34

      I used a composter toilet in texas once that had you do a scoop of pine needles and a scoop of wood ash and it became neutral ph compost that they used on their flowers and trees

    • @joshuaschoonyan3263
      @joshuaschoonyan3263 Před 3 lety +20

      Just make darn sure the ash is cold. Found that out the hard way...

    • @thomasclayton4305
      @thomasclayton4305 Před 3 lety +9

      WE used ash the same way. We called it flashing instead of flushing.

    • @yaokomedja5246
      @yaokomedja5246 Před 3 lety +1

      @@joshuaschoonyan3263
      🧨😅

    • @kewlbreez77
      @kewlbreez77 Před 3 lety +1

      @@thomasclayton4305 hah! that's cool

  • @timhosler6326
    @timhosler6326 Před 4 lety +659

    This is old school, but when making leather from a deer or cow skin a 7 to 10 day soak in a hard wood ash and water mixture will cause the hair to release from the skin so that the leather can be scraped and tanned.

    • @jasonthurston799
      @jasonthurston799 Před 4 lety +23

      Essentially it's soaking it in lye, leached from the ash.

    • @odurandina
      @odurandina Před 3 lety +19

      Cool idea! The problem is wood ash should be discarded and not handled--or used for fertilizing our gardens. Wood ash measures as significantly radioactive. You can thank the 1950/60's nuke testing. Guess where all the fallout went. That's right: it was absorbed by the trees. No problem handling wood. But ash is highly concentrated. It's the dark secret of our co-generation plants states use to burn tree junk, stumps, biomass and trash. Landfills where these ashes are discarded can be very radioactive.
      burningissues.org/radwaste1.html#:~:text=These%2047%20data%20sets%2C%20representing,the%20environment%2C%22%20Farber%20says.
      "Industrial wood burning in the United States generates and estimated 900,000 tons of ash each year: residential and utility wood burning generates another 543,000 tons. Already, many companies are recycling this unregulated ash in fertilizers. The irony, Farber says, is that federal regulations require releases from nuclear plants to be disposed of as radioactive waste if they contain even 1 percent of the cesium and strontium levels detected in the ash samples from New England. If ash were subject to the same regulations, he says, its disposal would cost U.A. wood burners more than $30 billion annually."

    • @leemartin9156
      @leemartin9156 Před 3 lety +13

      @@odurandina Holy Cow Batman!!! Add that to all the chemicals used by military on bases (including ordinance n vehicles etc), New England is a hot spot for cancers. We are killing ourselves and just don't know it yet. Ugh.

    • @orangestoneface
      @orangestoneface Před 3 lety +1

      @@jasonthurston799 thought it was toxins from burning stopping rotting in leather just guessing

    • @kylelastname
      @kylelastname Před 3 lety +4

      @@odurandina thanks for the info.

  • @tyleenmansker402
    @tyleenmansker402 Před 2 lety +56

    I use it on muddy paths, especially where the dogs walk. Keeps the ground solid. I also put it in the bottom of pot holes on our dirt road before adding gravel, over time its like cement and keeps the gravel from disappearing which is a big deal in our super rainy environment. .

    • @kizziah7777
      @kizziah7777 Před rokem +1

      I made a path where my dogs wore down the grass with roofing shingles. Takes minutes to lay out and way cheaper than cement.

    • @adrianjohnson7920
      @adrianjohnson7920 Před rokem

      Good to know!

  • @Happydays43
    @Happydays43 Před 2 lety +11

    I made a compost toilet and used ash instead of soil. It was brilliant 😁

  • @savarysolutions2290
    @savarysolutions2290 Před 3 lety +403

    Wood ash has been used historically for making lye, a key ingredient for making soap. Ash from harder wood species is preferable.

    • @mindyhyler8188
      @mindyhyler8188 Před 3 lety +16

      I loved it when my class learned that!
      We learned how to make lye from the ashes, and then got to make soap from our lye we made.
      Best classes ever!

    • @machomachinmachinmachinmac6910
      @machomachinmachinmachinmac6910 Před 3 lety +24

      That's a lye.

    • @fiona1963
      @fiona1963 Před 3 lety +18

      My grandmother used to make soap with ash and rendered fat.

    • @mindyhyler8188
      @mindyhyler8188 Před 3 lety +13

      @@fiona1963 that's so cool.
      I like it but it takes a while if your not set up for it.
      I made some when I got older just to do it, but I don't make soap like that now. one of my class mates went and started a soap business.
      It's very nice and the soap is so beautiful, I now milk my goats and trade her milk, she then makes goat milk soap and I get some homemade goat milk soap that smells and feels so beautiful ❤️

    • @tmckmusic8584
      @tmckmusic8584 Před 3 lety +3

      @@fiona1963 Yes! Ash alone is very detoxifying. Makes me think we don't need to make lye.

  • @carolyncrider8217
    @carolyncrider8217 Před 3 lety +58

    My grandmother made ash or lye soap. She started a fire, got her mother's old iron pot and boiled the water threw in the soap and we washed our clothes that way. She raised me off grid . We always used ash in the garden.

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 3 lety +5

      That's great we want to try making lye soap too

    • @peterclancy3653
      @peterclancy3653 Před 3 lety +5

      My mum use to make this type of soap and one could actually buy soap bar moulds to give a professional looking bar of soap.

    • @CarolReidCA
      @CarolReidCA Před 3 lety +2

      I've made soap with ash too. Strain it, oils, essential oils, sugar or salt for a scrub, mictronized oats for skin soothing. Great stuff!

    • @CarolReidCA
      @CarolReidCA Před 3 lety +4

      @@Homesteadhow be sure to look up the oil to lye to water ratios! Not enough oil makes it caustic, too much oil makes an oily mess! There are recipes all over online. Give it a try! It's fun and makes some of the best soaps ever! It's fun to color it, add sugar or salt for a scrubbing soap & much more!

  • @mmccrownus2406
    @mmccrownus2406 Před 2 lety +96

    ANOTHER LIST OF USES
    1. Putting wood ash on an ants nest forces them to relocate…the ash seems to cause them problems so they pack and leave.
    2. A pan of ash in the corner of a basement or other dark area will deter mice and roaches. I’ve never tried this one but I’m assured by a friend that it works.
    3. Decent sized lumps of wood charcoal will filter impurities out of water. A lot of water filters out there actually rely on different forms of processed wood ash for such.
    4. Wood ash in a metal or ceramic container will dehumidify a damp space very well.
    5. Putting ash on a fire will snuff the flames instantly. We actually keep a decorative bucket of it near the fireplace just in case an ember hits the carpet.
    6. Neutralize acidic soil by adding wood ash to the ground. You don’t want to use this around tender, young plants though, as it’s too potent and will kill them off.
    7. Sprinkling wood ash around the edge of a young plant bed will deter slugs and snails from having a midnight feast. These slimy pests don’t like the drying effect ash has on their undersides. Make sure to re-apply after rain.
    8. At up to 70%, calcium carbonate wood ash can replace lime in a pinch.
    9. If you keep chickens, ash mixed with sand makes a great dust bath for the birds.
    10. You can even make soap from wood ash. Here’s a recipe you may want to give a try.
    11. Ash on paths and driveways both prevents slipping and melts ice. It’s messy as can be though, so make sure you have a mat by the front door for boots to be wiped on before coming indoors. A bag of ash in the trunk is also great for giving some grip if you get into a wheels-spinning-but-going-nowhere situation.
    12. The mildly abrasive nature of ash makes it excellent for cleaning up dull silver, other metals, and cloudy glassware. Make a thick paste and rub lightly. Leave the goop on for a few minutes and then polish off. Always wear gloves when you’re doing this though - ash is caustic.
    13. Wood ash neutralizes bad smells. This means it’s great for home gyms, sheds, garages, or anywhere that teenagers congregate. Make sure you replace with fresh ash every few days.
    14. Ash can blot up oil stains on drives and floors. Put the ask on the stain, stomp it in, leave for a few minutes and brush up.
    15. If your four-legged friend got too close to a skunk help all you need is some ash. Rub the ash into the dogs coat, let him run around a while, and then brush him. This is the less tomato-y means of eliminating eau de skunk.
    16. You can use ash to control algae in your pond. Just 1 tablespoon of ash per 1000 gallons of water improves the robustness of aquatic plants and inhibits algae growth.
    17. Ash can clean glass on oven and wood stove doors. Make a thick paste, slap it on, and wait a while. Scrape off the excess and then polish.
    18. Clean your teeth with pure wood ash - not ash from painted, varnished or treated wood. Clean your teeth with a dab of ash on the brush, rinse well and feel how clean they are. Just be aware that there can be negative health effects from long-term use of ash in this way.

    • @tchogworks1987
      @tchogworks1987 Před rokem +3

      That would be turn the ants property into swamp land. When the ash gets wet and holds moisture they can’t live wet environment 😊

    • @kingagrad3436
      @kingagrad3436 Před rokem +2

      Thank you M8!!!

    • @LegomanBunda
      @LegomanBunda Před rokem +1

      I will say the reason it might deter mice and rodents in a basement is due to carbon monoxide. Which isnt the best for humans

    • @brooksdonahue8766
      @brooksdonahue8766 Před rokem

      I have used in garden, compost pile, yard, also used on stove glass (also use Ammonia and razor blade)

    • @pacamama8906
      @pacamama8906 Před rokem

      If you spread on icy spots, and your animals walk on it will hurt their feet? Plus they will track it in the house.

  • @perkinshomestead
    @perkinshomestead Před 2 lety +74

    My husband has been using an outdoor woodburning stove for 20 plus years. He puts most of the ashes on the dirt driveway for fill. I have 1 very good tip that I hope people will do: use a metal/steel wheelbarrow, not a metal can. Reason being: you can wheel it instead dealing with a cumbersome metal can. My husband hasn't used anything else for ashes. Just a heavy duty metal wheelbarrow.

    • @ChrisCross2014
      @ChrisCross2014 Před 2 lety +5

      @Strawberry Shortcake Get one with 2 front wheels...it balance better.

    • @jesspatrick2
      @jesspatrick2 Před 2 lety

      I use the loader on the tractor to distribute ashes to where they are needed. I keep a stock pile of ash that accumulates during the burning season.

    • @deborahfalker5150
      @deborahfalker5150 Před rokem +1

      Just don't let the ash and wheelbarrow get wet. It will eat the wheelbarrow up.

  • @lightseeker2242
    @lightseeker2242 Před 3 lety +156

    I use my wood ash to melt snow and ice in the driveway where it slopes to the road. I found that ice on my walks instantly were safer with only a the lightest sprinkle of ash. I didn't want to track a lot of it in the house or for my dogs to get a lot of it on their feet. I call it "instant traction" because it really works instantly. I carry a jar of it in the car during winter so if I come across an icy parking lot, I can walk safely. I also spread it over snow on my driveway and it melts the snow quite well. I now have new uses for it. Thank You!

    • @georgesowerby193
      @georgesowerby193 Před 2 lety +1

      ✓✓✓😜😊😂🥃😘

    • @robinr5669
      @robinr5669 Před 2 lety +1

      You can damage the plants that get the runoff

    • @4maryjowells
      @4maryjowells Před 2 lety +1

      @@robinr5669 how so? Ash is great for plants.

    • @Shrimp_Insurance
      @Shrimp_Insurance Před 2 lety

      @@4maryjowells Depends on the plants

    • @notchs0son
      @notchs0son Před 2 lety

      @@Shrimp_Insurance depends how much ash too, if it’s not a lot like they say then it really won’t do harm.

  • @gorway7
    @gorway7 Před 3 lety +163

    My father used to clean his gun with ash and oil on patches to remove lead fowling... apparently something he picked up in WW2 where they used cigarette ash and oil to clean the bores and remove rust spots on the outside before turnout inspection. We used ash from the fire pit on our veg patch and to sprinkle on the compost heap, it's high in potassium and reduces soil acidity.

    • @kkrolf2782
      @kkrolf2782 Před 3 lety +2

      Peter Sobocki Thank you for the added details as to “why” we’d put it on a garden.

    • @hokimocus
      @hokimocus Před 3 lety +2

      Dr.Wallach, ( a veterinrian and author of Hells Kitchen) talked about how wood ash was put into the garden or farm soil, as a way to bring nutrients back. He says that the elevation of metabolic diseases( heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes) could be tracked as our country moved to gas cooking stoves from wood.

    • @ctrlaltdebug
      @ctrlaltdebug Před 3 lety +1

      Andrew W could be that the cutting splitting and stacking of wood explains the metabolic diseases. As they say, the wood warms you three times.

  • @massivereader
    @massivereader Před 2 lety +15

    I live in an old steel town in Western Pennnsylvania. When I was a kid, the street department always used to spread cinders on the streets. The cinders were crushed up slag from the blast furnaces at the steel mill. The use of salt didn't really replace it until the seventies. We also had a coal furnace. I spent a lot of very cold mornings scraping out the previous days ashes and building new fires.

  • @jackofnone9439
    @jackofnone9439 Před 2 lety +42

    I've used ash from my campfire to brush my teeth and it actually works really well...especially if you forget your toothpaste...you have to use the really fine, fluffy grey ash though. This was a good informative video. Even if we didn't have a woodstove at them time, we've always carried a small container of ash in the back of the Jeep...if you get stuck on a sheet of ice, just a little ash under each wheel and you be able to pull right off the ice.

    • @jackofnone9439
      @jackofnone9439 Před rokem

      @Will Swift Use the really fine fluffy, grey stuff and it's not too abrasive...I wouldn't use it long-term though...but it's better than nothing...

  • @fireman5419
    @fireman5419 Před 3 lety +146

    Dude is working his ash off

  • @apumasterp
    @apumasterp Před 4 lety +87

    I’ve used it for years to clean the glass on the fireplace, but I just dampen a few paper towels, and dip them right in the ash of the fireplace. Makes its own paste.
    Also, ash is great to dump down outhouses to keep the smell down.

    • @BangBang-hk4rg
      @BangBang-hk4rg Před 3 lety +2

      I do the same with my wood stove. It gets the glass spotless 👍

    • @clive-t.m.d7955
      @clive-t.m.d7955 Před 3 lety +1

      Smell reduction - absolutely. If you have a rotten smelling dustbin (UK term) or trashcan (for our American cousins) just throw a load of ash in, leave it for a few days and the smell will be gone.

  • @ruddahbah1735
    @ruddahbah1735 Před 2 lety +23

    Neat Ideas, My father is a retired Chimney Sweep and as a kid he would drag me around to all the jobs with him. My only only advice to you is to wear a mask when dealing with large amounts of ash like that or coal. really fine particles get in the air and then in your lungs. that's not good. Good video though I love the idea of learning how other people do stuff :)

    • @gde1076
      @gde1076 Před 2 lety

      Wear a mask, you might get COVID, says Biden the great. That was a nice gesture buddy. Most wouldn't have took the time. If he is like me, he will say hell with a mask. If Biden says wear one, I wouldn't put one on if king Kong sharted on me

    • @danielalejandro2151
      @danielalejandro2151 Před 2 lety

      @@gde1076 he is not talking about wearing a mask for covid goofy I agree 100% fuck a mask because of covid but don't do harmful stuff without a mask moron you will die before covid gets you 😭🤣🤣🤣

    • @gde1076
      @gde1076 Před 2 lety +1

      @@danielalejandro2151 Oh good, I welcome that day. Maybe you can hold your ego for a sec while I tea bag that forehead.

  • @scott1lori282
    @scott1lori282 Před 2 lety +21

    Use as border edging around the yard. Edges where you have to weedeat. I use around things like a septic tank lid. You always have to come back and weedeat or use grass killers around things like that so I started dumbing ash/coals around edges enough to suppress grass. Works pretty well. I also used around my garage's block foundation and looks good all summer without weedeating or poison.

  • @randyromines7364
    @randyromines7364 Před 3 lety +326

    Back when we still mostly had front wheel drive cars, I was taught instead of a bag of sand, carry a plastic tub of fireplace ash in trunk. Ash works like salt when you are stuck on ice and car tires keep spinning. Just broadcast around tires and on the path you want to go, it saved my butt many times. I also sprinkled on my patio and sidewalk going out to the mailbox when icy, it immediately makes a safe surface to walk on and melts the ice.

    • @tysontyson1244
      @tysontyson1244 Před 3 lety +12

      I put some on my patio and sidewalk too! You can see the difference in this photo. thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/person-dirty-shoes-leaving-muddy-footprints-person-dirty-shoes-leaving-muddy-footprints-carpet-122736659.jpg

    • @mycrazylifewfawnlisette3582
      @mycrazylifewfawnlisette3582 Před 3 lety +1

      I had no idea, that's really cool!

    • @youretheai7586
      @youretheai7586 Před 3 lety +1

      Brilliant!

    • @louf7178
      @louf7178 Před 3 lety +9

      Are you saying you all now mostly have all wheel drive? I was expecting this to say "mostly rear wheel drive".

    • @jamesmarks8099
      @jamesmarks8099 Před 3 lety +10

      I found it melts the ice faster when there are still burning embers.

  • @rockymntain
    @rockymntain Před 3 lety +277

    Note to Western U.S. gardeners: If you live in a desert area, most soil is very alkaline. You do not want to dump the ash into the garden, as this increases the alkalinity, thus reducing the viability of the soil for plants. If you have any question as to pH of soil, test it. Good for Western soils is plenty of organic matter that is composted. Do not put ash on acid loving plants like raspberries/blackberries. Take fallen needles from pine trees and spread on soil around berry plants. This helps acidify the soil and the plants will thank you with the fruit they produce.

    • @shamusmcwright2640
      @shamusmcwright2640 Před 3 lety

      This

    • @RetrieverTrainingAlone
      @RetrieverTrainingAlone Před 3 lety +8

      Same up here in Alaska...the glacial soil is fairly alkaline and ash does not help in the garden....it raises the pH which reduces Phosphorus soluability....aspen leaves from the fall works as good mulch.

    • @Floralena05
      @Floralena05 Před 3 lety +3

      Awesome tip thank you so much!

    • @Dogalot1
      @Dogalot1 Před 3 lety +4

      This is TOO TRUE!!! Please have the soil pH tested before adding wood ash in the garden. I found out the hard way... I burn with wood and found the garden not producing anything for a few years. Working now to get it back in balance.

    • @rockymntain
      @rockymntain Před 3 lety +3

      @@Dogalot1 Put as much organic matter onto/into the soil. If it is not composted and broke down, you will have nitrogen depletion from the helpful bacteria that break it down in the garden.
      Ammonia sulphate is a good form of Nitrogen for alkaline soil as the ammonia breaks down into N and the sulphate acidifies the alkalinity. There are other inorganic ways to adjust the pH, but it is something that must be done continually to bring pH closer to normal.

  • @jimbanda
    @jimbanda Před 2 lety +7

    Things I thought most people would know about.... But it's always good to get updated.
    When I was a kid , my grandparents and my parents used to mix ash into flower beds and maybe once a week go out the far fields and scatter ash as a mineral additive . 👍👍

  • @marietteberndsen9587
    @marietteberndsen9587 Před 2 lety +6

    At home in Holland,I when I was young, we used the ash from the cole stove for repairing the driveway.
    We, now in Portugal, use our ashes for the garden, together with coffeeground, eggshells and finely cut banana peels.

  • @billludolph5738
    @billludolph5738 Před 3 lety +14

    When we lived out on a farm in Western Kansas and we used ash from our fireplace to keep the smell and flies down in the outhouse.

  • @athewake
    @athewake Před 4 lety +148

    Sift the ash through a mesh strainer, then rinse the ash with clean water. It can then be applied to ceramic pottery and fired in a kiln for a glaze finish to your pots.

  • @robynmeyer7796
    @robynmeyer7796 Před rokem +17

    Pretty handy as a wound dressing…wood ash enhances healing and also acts as an antiseptic- just make sure there’s no tanalised (treated) timber been burnt amongst it. Another good wound dressing is moss

  • @Green.Country.Agroforestry

    Cautionary tip: White ash is mostly Calcium Oxid CaO, with a VERY high Ph. Darker ash tends to have more Calcium Carbonate, which is an only mildly alkaline salt - the mild abrasive used on the stove window is also likely to be around 12 Ph, on par with sodium Hypochlorite (aka bleach). On soils that are recently cleared pine barren, reclaimed swamp, or part of the spoil of a mining operation, plenty of ash might be just what it needs to balance Ph .. but if you test your soil at a 7 or higher, you won't be doing your garden any favors by adding ashes. We use it to make hominy, so we can turn our homegrown corn into delicious an nutritious tortillas!

    • @pjwoo276
      @pjwoo276 Před rokem +1

      thanks for mentioning this. It is much more valuable info that that given in this video. Some people just go off saying to use this or that in your garden without ever considering that it might be exactly the OPPOSITE if what your particular might need.

    • @Saturnit3
      @Saturnit3 Před rokem +2

      Your comment piqued my interest so I did a little research, it says that plant based ashes are OK tobe used as a fertilizer, and the guy in the video uses firewood, which is plantbased. I believe what you're talking about is coal ash.

    • @Green.Country.Agroforestry
      @Green.Country.Agroforestry Před rokem +1

      @@Saturnit3 Why would you think that I nixtamalized our corn with COAL ash, of all things?? That would be psychopathic!

    • @Saturnit3
      @Saturnit3 Před rokem

      @@Green.Country.Agroforestry No I meant that what you are talking about that is harmful to be used as an fertilizer must be coal ash, because doing some research I found out that using plantbased ash was ok for fertilizing. I live in TR and we don't have hominy here, I wonder how those tortillas taste like, would have loved to try them out

    • @AC-hj9tv
      @AC-hj9tv Před 7 měsíci +1

      Wowowow

  • @edteets2554
    @edteets2554 Před 3 lety +35

    I found that over the years of using ash on my garden, I got it too alkaline to the point I was having problems growing certain vegetables. I had to add sulfur to the garden to bring the pH back to more neutral . I would suggest having your soil tested every year when using wood ashes on your garden.

    • @fisk7aal
      @fisk7aal Před 3 lety +1

      It can easily be tested with pH strips. But you can also take a look at what is growing. Plants have different preferences. My lawn has a lot of moss. Moss thrives in low pH environment; so now I am spreading my wood ash to bring up the pH.

  • @MarvinWadeBarr
    @MarvinWadeBarr Před 4 lety +330

    Soak the ashes in water to extract lye water. It can be used to make soap. Lye water can also be used in Nixtamalization, the process of turning corn into hominy and dried then ground to grits and also masa for tortillas and tamales.

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 4 lety +16

      Yes, this is a wonderful idea and we hope to do it in a video soon!

    • @mickleblade
      @mickleblade Před 4 lety +6

      You sure? I thought that nixta blah blah process used calcium hydroxide, ie hydrated lime. Or does it work with anything alkaline? Ashes are potash

    • @thehammeredthumb7110
      @thehammeredthumb7110 Před 4 lety +20

      Mickleblade, you are right. However wood ash has lime in it....I used wood ash in place of lime a few years ago as a substitute for lime in making biodiesel. Not that I am a chemist, I learned the technique at the time from the internet... it worked and I ran a fuel burning water stove off the homemade diesel.

    • @Romasulmona
      @Romasulmona Před 4 lety +4

      Did not know about Ash extract can produce lye for home made soaps! Wow!!
      Question what is the reason for using lye in soaps!? Does the lye give the soap longer shelf life!?

    • @crappiecommandos9720
      @crappiecommandos9720 Před 4 lety +2

      Marvin Wade Barr does taking the lye out make it better as a fertilizer?

  • @painunmanaged
    @painunmanaged Před 2 lety +5

    My house caught on fire, & all the rose bushes on side of my home bloomed tall & beautiful right after. We had a hard time maintaining then prior to the fire. I believe they grew faster from ash falling from edge of home help my roses bloom like never before.

  • @wheelingsdeborahwilson8142

    When I was a teenager I worked as a "shampoo girl" at the local beauty shop. The ladies who got their gray hair dyed did not like the "evidence" that was left behind (the dye would stain their skin). The boss had me use the ash from the ashtrays to remove hair dye from the customer's hairline. First I washed the hair when it was time to remove the dye. Then, I took an old towel and my index finger into an old towel and dampened it just a bit and then collected all the ash from the ashtray that would stick to it and rubbed it all around the forehead, neckline and outer ears.

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 2 lety +3

      Wow, this is a new comment for ash, thx!

  • @ericbeightol3214
    @ericbeightol3214 Před 4 lety +404

    Here's something I learned and pass on to others. Even though the outdoor furnace is insulated, if you build a small, 3-sided structure around it you will reduce your fuel usage by 1/3. That is considerable. The structure keeps more wind away from the furnace so it doesn't have to fight against it as much. Plus you can store your wood right there next to it under the roof.

    • @AlkalineGamingHD
      @AlkalineGamingHD Před 3 lety +6

      Brilliant

    • @imafwatcher
      @imafwatcher Před 3 lety +9

      Covered 3 sided is your basic indoor fireplace.

    • @f_USAF-Lt.G
      @f_USAF-Lt.G Před 3 lety +8

      In making camp - putting a structured corner up with logs helps contain the light and heat of the fire pit, but is also to house gathered firewood to keep close to the fire so it can dry.
      Achievable with your suggestion also.

    • @colemanadamson5943
      @colemanadamson5943 Před 3 lety +2

      Not doubting your specific case but a regular fireplace is about 15% efficient. But outside, that 3 sided wind guard is subject to more airflow than in a house so I would expect at most 15% improvement....unless one has constant wind flowing in one direction......IOW's ....a very special case.

    • @maxlinck9037
      @maxlinck9037 Před 3 lety +4

      same principle as wearing a wind proof jacket - you don't have to constantly heat the air around yourself

  • @wadewillson7738
    @wadewillson7738 Před 3 lety +141

    Here in Idaho we save the ash and when the dry weather is getting close we put a barrier of Ash around the property up against the foundation bugs really don't like crawling through it

    • @kkrolf2782
      @kkrolf2782 Před 3 lety +4

      My Mother did the same thing with coffee grounds to keep ants out of the house in Illinois.

    • @chrisbarham5373
      @chrisbarham5373 Před 3 lety

      Im in Bugzilla ville nampa, idaho and thats good to know

    • @gringochoppers
      @gringochoppers Před 3 lety +4

      I want to move to Post Falls in a couple years..but real-estate is so damn expensive..I'm building a logging trailer for collecting and processing wood which I'll do for extra money...or I'll be a handy man for all the rich women 😂

    • @HollywoodCreeper
      @HollywoodCreeper Před 3 lety

      @@gringochoppers There was some cool country music club venue there, but I also heard about Deja Vu Showgirls or something.

    • @dawnhasbroken6304
      @dawnhasbroken6304 Před 3 lety +1

      I'm in Idaho too! Southeast...I need to try the bug thing.

  • @davesterchele2679
    @davesterchele2679 Před 2 lety +35

    For fertilizer, mix it up with compost and just let it sit for a few weeks outside to let the Ph settle. If you add a LOT of ash to a garden without much organic material, then raised Ph might be a concern, but adding a couple shovelfuls to a garden bed with lots of compost shouldn't change the Ph over the long run. Compost is the great equalizer.

    • @mikkalbreeden956
      @mikkalbreeden956 Před 2 lety +1

      My experience, it cuts composting time in half. Although, I also use blood meal to raise the nitrates. So, it could be the combination.

    • @thelast1163
      @thelast1163 Před 2 lety

      @@mikkalbreeden956 blood meal ..like raw bacon?

    • @mikkalbreeden956
      @mikkalbreeden956 Před 2 lety +1

      Blood meal is dry or cooked blood from a slaughterhouse for nitrogen. You use 1 cup for 20 sq ft. It’s adds twice as much nitrogen than fish water from cleaning the bottom of a fish aquarium. However, fish aquarium water breaks down and shows in 2 weeks. Blood meal takes 3 months to breakdown and longer to show up in your plants.

    • @davesterchele2679
      @davesterchele2679 Před 2 lety

      @@thelast1163 Like drained, dried blood.

  • @5thElement555
    @5thElement555 Před 2 lety +15

    Ax gash cut on elders leg (young man then) in 1920's, packed wound with wood ash and spider webs on top of it, wrapped up, back to cutting wood. Healed magnificently. Great video, thanks!

  • @stoveboltlvr3798
    @stoveboltlvr3798 Před 2 lety +12

    My grandma used wood ash not only for fertilizer but it's all she ever used for pesticide by sifting it to get the finest ashes which she would put in an old stocking and shake onto her plants.

  • @JorgeGarcia-lw7vc
    @JorgeGarcia-lw7vc Před 3 lety +56

    Great video. I know that in some very dry areas where there is little water, people use ash to wash dishes. Turning "waste" into something valuable is golden, and something we should all do more of. Thanks for the great video!

    • @dentedcokecan
      @dentedcokecan Před 2 lety +2

      I've actually heard of that...👍

    • @JorgeGarcia-lw7vc
      @JorgeGarcia-lw7vc Před 2 lety +1

      @@dentedcokecan Yes, a friend of mine from northern India said that that is done in areas where or when water is scarce. They just rub the dishes with ash, and it cleans them.

  • @hoobakam.3931
    @hoobakam.3931 Před 2 lety +1

    I've read to many useful comments and now consider this video my tutorial for ash use. Cheers. Good video and many good user comments.

  • @russelrogers2540
    @russelrogers2540 Před rokem +5

    Had friends, in western Colorado, who cleaned the wood burner into a five gallon, metal bucket. The bucket set outside, in freezing temperatures, for three days and felt cold to the touch. Bucket was emptied into the chicken enclosure and spread out somewhat. Two in the morning, they were awakened by strange light coming through the windows. The chicken coop was totally engulfed in flames, with eighteen inches of snow on top of it. Only took one small coal, scratched over to the building by the chickens, to set the coop on fire. Be VERY sure that those ashes are ABSOLUTEY cold.

  • @chaseneufeld3406
    @chaseneufeld3406 Před 3 lety +46

    If your car gets stuck, use ash instead of sand for traction. There is nothing better! A coffee tin full in the trunk of your car pairs well with your survival kit in the winter.

    • @ozciva
      @ozciva Před 3 lety

      And if you get rear ended, your car turns into an ashtray.

    • @richardfierro2699
      @richardfierro2699 Před 3 lety

      @@ozciva if you get rear ended, you have bigger problems than that

    • @mrjoejoe191304
      @mrjoejoe191304 Před 3 lety

      @@ozciva 😄

  • @Inkdraft
    @Inkdraft Před 4 lety +57

    I use ash to clean my stove window, sprinkle it on icy walks and driveway, and when I'm taking it out of the stoves I put a colander over the top of the bucket and let the fine ash sift into the bucket and keep the small chunks of charcoal out. I put the charcoal in another bucket and use it in the summer in the BBQ grill to cook food. I save some of the fine ash to make soap.

  • @victoriarandall9493
    @victoriarandall9493 Před rokem +2

    I used your tip for cleaning the glass on my wood burner and it worked a treat! The glass was really dark with soot and now it’s clear. Many thanks for that… 😊

  • @aboutseason
    @aboutseason Před 8 měsíci +2

    I've used it for my stove glass for years. But I live in Oregon where the water is extremely hard so I tried it on my windows and it worked great. I also tried it recently on my car's headlights. Just like a charm!!

  • @ralph5450
    @ralph5450 Před 3 lety +159

    7:45 I use mine on my driveway too. I get extra traction with the nails from the pallets I burn. 😁

    • @boblablah3166
      @boblablah3166 Před 3 lety

      I was thinking the same thing when that nail landed on the sidewalk

    • @nathantweeddale9057
      @nathantweeddale9057 Před 3 lety +7

      I do the same with the bananas that I feed my chimps!

    • @susanc.ganzel7108
      @susanc.ganzel7108 Před 3 lety +1

      😁😊😄

    • @louf7178
      @louf7178 Před 3 lety +3

      I actually sift ash from a fireplace to get rid of chunks. It goes much faster than one might guess, and the ash is "clean".

    • @janabest5098
      @janabest5098 Před 3 lety +2

      Next video how to achieve studded tires from putting ash in your driveway if you burn pallets in your wood boiler.

  • @shawnsisler3743
    @shawnsisler3743 Před 3 lety +350

    I use ash when camping to keep bugs away from my tent. Sprinkle it around the base of the tent and ants, spiders, etc., will avoid it.

    • @Marco-fi6gv
      @Marco-fi6gv Před 3 lety +8

      Thanks for the info

    • @modove3034
      @modove3034 Před 3 lety

      Thanks i’m coming up with something for the summer then so while I’m in the fields picking 🤣

    • @emilmckellar4932
      @emilmckellar4932 Před 3 lety +2

      No it does not. That is why you can't buy it in stores for home use as a bug repellent. Bug don't care might even be attracted because there is a higher chance that not to find something that died and get an easy meal. Maybe you did it once and there seemed to be less, but please keep casualty in mind

    • @cyberpleb2472
      @cyberpleb2472 Před 3 lety +3

      Is that camping or glamping?

    • @SkullGamingNation
      @SkullGamingNation Před 3 lety +2

      That's awesome! Thanks for the information

  • @KRowe
    @KRowe Před 2 lety +9

    We use it in the chicken coop to let them dust bathe in the winter- they love it! Also spread it on our hay fields. I have also aged cheese in wood ash- making sure the cheese rind is nice and dry first.

  • @NYClubMaster
    @NYClubMaster Před 2 lety +5

    So cool lots of great tips. We use it as an insulation between the logs in a log cabin home. Thanks for sharing ‼️😉

    • @carolynstokes7120
      @carolynstokes7120 Před 2 lety +1

      How is this done?

    • @NYClubMaster
      @NYClubMaster Před 2 lety +1

      @@carolynstokes7120 :
      Hi everybody ,please be patient with my English,is all I have for the moment.
      More I read or watch videos about rocket mass heaters more I like the idea to make one,but of course like any beginner will start with questions.
      I have done one rocket stove for cooking ,three or for ears ago,is doing he's job very well .I use wood ash for insulation.
      Could be wood ash a good insulation for a heat riser in a mass heater?
      Or could be wood ash one component in a homemade refractory mortar recipe?
      Wood ash is mostly oxides of potassium, calcium, phosphorus. It will certainly be good insulation. Be careful working with it. It can be very corrosive and burn your skin. Be sure not to breathe any of it.
      I've been thinking the same question since I started reading about rocket mass heaters. We wouldn't have access to perlite or vermicultie and would have to do homemade low-tech insulation in the riser. Does plain wood ash work? Or better mixed with something?
      A friend wondered if a small amount of sawdust in cob would burn away leaving holes to form insulation
      I've been having a similar thought of using wood ash to insulate a wooden floor from the Heat
      Safest thing is to build it up off the floor. There was a builder in new England a yearor two ago, who thought he could get away with cement board on the floor with cob over that... A few years later he removed his entire rmh and went with conventional heating. Seems his nice hardwood floor was charred and burnt … not the rmh fault but the building method... Please don't make that mistake.
      Hello Ryan,
      The following thread has a build by Kirt Mobert where he uses wood ash as a natural refractory mix Batch rocket
      Kirk said: "I think i should point out that the firebox of this stove is a homemade mixture that consists of crushed red brick (grog), wood ash, cow manure and locally sourced clay soil."
      EDIT: The first few pictures shows how the stove is raised off the floor before the wood ash mix is used.
      Welcome to Permies Eke,
      As with most homemade mixes, you have to experiment a bit to get the correct proportions to suit the materials of your area. What I have had good success with is 3 sand: 1 clay soil for the base and then 'some' sifted ash. I used about 1/2 proportion and it seemed to work pretty good as a mortar with no cracking.
      In this small amount though, ash won't be insulative enough but rather just give the mix a bit more refractory properties.
      I've also tried just sifted ash put around my rmh core with nothing to bind it and it does insulated quite well but tends to settle and find its way out the smallest holes or crack
      permies.com/t/138802/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Manual-FREE
      Getting started with rocket stoves--10 principles of rocket stove construction from Aprovechio
      Building My First Rocket Mass Heater (Tommy's Tea Dome)
      See,: permies.com/t/138802/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Manual-FREE

  • @bluduv4him
    @bluduv4him Před 4 lety +119

    Just a tip, if you sit your full shovel of ashes at the bottom of the bucket and just pull it out letting the ashes slide off you will eliminate most of the ash cloud.

    • @huntandfish1730
      @huntandfish1730 Před 4 lety +8

      And maybe put your bucket downwind...

    • @billhatcher2984
      @billhatcher2984 Před 3 lety

      If you have a good fire it will draw most in and up the chimney

    • @CarolReidCA
      @CarolReidCA Před 3 lety

      I'd use a squared metal can, then use the hoe to pull out the ashes. Less work and less mess too! Keeps the ash off the ground from building up over time.

  • @darlataylor7537
    @darlataylor7537 Před 3 lety +109

    Old settlers use ash to fill in cracks and holes on their homes or cabins. They would add dirt to the ash anf add water so that it bonded better together and hardened. Great way to fill in cracks in concrete, or to make a slab if that's all you have. Take longer to cure but lasts longer than concrete that is made today

    • @tmckmusic8584
      @tmckmusic8584 Před 3 lety +1

      Darla, makes me wonder if adding ash to cob mixture would make it dry harder.

    • @darlataylor7537
      @darlataylor7537 Před 3 lety +5

      That method has been used before. Adobe tribes and the like used cob to build their homes. There are many countries that use ash with cob to build Adobe like homes because they last a long time through almost any weather. The rain bonds with the cob substance and ash and it makes the material super strong keeping a home or root cellar for a long time

    • @sbroccoli3942
      @sbroccoli3942 Před 3 lety +2

      Darla Taylor are you guys talking about corn cobs ground up??

    • @darlataylor7537
      @darlataylor7537 Před 3 lety +3

      @@sbroccoli3942 no, we are talking about used ashes mixed with dirt or natural formed clay dirt to make certain foundations, and can be used as mortar on the outside of homes like the Adobe's used for their homes and foundations. Cob is basically mixing ashes with dirt or a clay form mixed with water

    • @skashed
      @skashed Před 3 lety +19

      It's not quite like how you say, but you aren't totally wrong either. You need to mix the wood ash with water to start the chemical reaction. Then you form it into ingots and re fire it. It turns to calcium oxide. The ingots will break into a powder, and that powder is practically identical to type N mortar. adding water starts the calcium Hydroxide process, and drying in the air turns it into calcium carbonate.
      This process is done on an industrial scale with limestone (cooking limestone instead of mixing wood ash with water), and back in 'roman times', it was done by cooking sea shells, and other calcium rich items.
      Type N mortar is not like concrete, and does not resist acids, heat, and wear and tear nearly as well. To agree with your statement that concrete made today is not great; Concrete in modern times is over watered to make it more transportable and workable when filling forms and pouring slabs. The side effect of over watering is the concrete is its weaker (by about 50% percent in some cases). There is a lot more to this, and ways around this. I can site sources, and provide links, but it should be known that you can make a type N-esque masonry from wood ash, but it will never be a strong as concrete. Type N has qualities that make it superior to concrete (more pliable, cheaper), and as Darla states, in the very long run it will basically return to being limestone. However, Type N rarely lasts long enough to do that when exposed to the elements.
      I understand that this is the internet and this may read like an attack, but I assure you it's not. I just don't want people filling cracks with wood ash right from the pit and expecting a superior product to concrete. But I do hope people go and try out this stuff, and realize how accessible and rewarding masonry projects, literally from scratch, can be.

  • @bluebutterflywellness2273

    THANK YOU SO MUCH! Because I watched your video a couple of months ago, I not only was able to use ash on my soil and compost, but as a snow/ice melt during some heavy storms here. Also provides great traction. 👍🏽

  • @user-et7fv6fz6q
    @user-et7fv6fz6q Před rokem +4

    Plugs up groundhog holes nicely. Found out by accident that it hardens like cement. I needed a place to dump stove ash and there was a ground hog hole large enough to break a leg so it seemed like a good spot

  • @lory2622
    @lory2622 Před 2 lety +68

    My man!! You just got a subscriber and a follower. The “clean the glass with the ash” trick!!! The story is long but suffice it to say, you ended it for me today. My fireplace glass went from fully opaque to clear, we can see the flames. Thank you!

    • @chrishealing405
      @chrishealing405 Před 2 lety

      Yeah, my meth head friend used cigarette ash to clean his bulb hahaha

    • @georgesowerby193
      @georgesowerby193 Před 2 lety

      ✓😜😊😂🥃😘

    • @jodyyoohoo
      @jodyyoohoo Před 2 lety

      Ooooh, I’m going to try it tomorrow am!! Thanks!

    • @kristynsotelo1452
      @kristynsotelo1452 Před 2 lety

      Yes..I was quite impressed with the fire place glass cleaner too. Wonder if it would work in the kitchen oven as well. Yeah! I have experiments tomorrow!

    • @bigbunn833
      @bigbunn833 Před 2 lety

      @@kristynsotelo1452 did it work for your stove glass?

  • @Brian-do1vo
    @Brian-do1vo Před 3 lety +105

    In the 1500s ash was strained, with water, through layers of cloth; this was repeated and the resulting clear liquid was quite a harsh detergent/alkaline bleach for laundry. ❤🇬🇧

    • @SilvaDreams
      @SilvaDreams Před 3 lety +10

      You mean lye soap?

    • @Brian-do1vo
      @Brian-do1vo Před 3 lety +2

      @@SilvaDreams yes

    • @Goodntag
      @Goodntag Před 3 lety +10

      And you can boil that filtered ash-in-water liquid with fat to make lye soap!

    • @Brian-do1vo
      @Brian-do1vo Před 3 lety

      @@Goodntag oo wow 😂

    • @GM-xo7yy
      @GM-xo7yy Před 3 lety

      Alkaline more like ammonia. Yep ammonia cuts through grease and dirt

  • @violetlight8138
    @violetlight8138 Před rokem +4

    Works great also for stainless steel pans and takes off kitchen baked on grease very well.

  • @Ecksterphono
    @Ecksterphono Před 2 lety +9

    Depending on what type of wood you're burning you can leach or filter caustic lye from the ashes. Potash ( potassium hydroxide from softwood ash ) or soda ash ( sodium hydroxide from hardwood ash). Drill holes in the bottom of a metal barrel, make sure it's not a soft metal barrel. Line the bottom of the barrel inside with straw. You need a collector barrel at the bottom. Now shovel dry ashes into the barrel until overtime the barrel is almost full roughly 6 inches from the top. Pour water into the ashes with the collector barrel at the bottom. The water with the caustic that leached out of the ashes will eventually filter through the straw filter bed at the bottom and go through the drilled holes in the bottom of the top barrel and drip into the filter barrel. You can test the strength of the caustic by putting and egg in the filtrate. If the egg floats upward you have a very high caustic level. You may need to transfer the caustic liquid into another barrel depending on the size of the barrel. You can even put a tap close to the bottom to transfer some liquid out. Caustic lye or Potash has many uses. Hot lime, soap making soft soap ( Potash) hard soap ( soda ash), white wash. Making detergents. Bio diesel process, processing olives and the list goes on.

  • @susana5052
    @susana5052 Před 4 lety +177

    I've always saved my ash from my fireplace. I do live in a typical So. California neighborhood and some of my neighbors think I'm nuts. I keep a bucket of it to put out a fire. I use it for my garden, oil spills and lots of other things. I learned all that from my mother that's Japanese from her WWII days.

    • @abigor315
      @abigor315 Před 3 lety +8

      God knows japan had alot of ash during ww2

    • @rosejafari8917
      @rosejafari8917 Před 3 lety +9

      A lot of Americans throw usable things. I putnit in my garden. Thanks for more uses.

    • @susana5052
      @susana5052 Před 3 lety +4

      @@rosejafari8917 I am glad to have added to the list!👍👍👍

    • @susana5052
      @susana5052 Před 3 lety +3

      @@abigor315 Not in as many places as you may think.

    • @frankdamelio1351
      @frankdamelio1351 Před 3 lety +1

      Good info Susan. Thnx..

  • @Blackwater_House
    @Blackwater_House Před 4 lety +258

    The Trick is to Put the Metal Can downwind of where you’re standing so the Ash blows away from you, not on to you

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 4 lety +40

      I'm a dumb ash sometimes! I think I was more worried about camera angles and light and not paying attention. Thanks for watching!

    • @suskaklapp6641
      @suskaklapp6641 Před 4 lety +21

      He means don't piss into wind.

    • @jtrose6995
      @jtrose6995 Před 3 lety +5

      Blackwater House or in the lungs!

    • @odurandina
      @odurandina Před 3 lety +4

      Wood ash is significantly radioactive. This video is failing to observe this reality.

    • @paperaxes4192
      @paperaxes4192 Před 3 lety +5

      @@Homesteadhow also, don't dump it in the can from above. Ash is very fine particulate, so I try to gently slide it into a container instead of letting it fall.
      With a can like that, tip it forward so you have a better angle - you might need to set a couple logs down to stand it on. Then insert the shovel and let the ash slide off right onto the pile.

  • @erikvanas8796
    @erikvanas8796 Před 2 lety +7

    When camping, I keep some ash for when I can't light a fire to boil water, the ash can be used like a filter for river-water, not as good as fire but it will help remove impurities and make water safer to drink.

  • @tinathomas3525
    @tinathomas3525 Před 2 lety

    Omg! Thank you. I don't know
    If you know how refreshing you are! Needed you at this time in my life. God bless!

  • @timberwolf1575
    @timberwolf1575 Před 3 lety +242

    A lot of the uses in this video are based on the same group of characteristics. Wood ash has a relatively large proportion of silicon crystals (at the microscopic level) that allows it to work as an abrasive at a very fine level. The same crystals make it very hard on insects by cutting them up like diatomaceous earth. These crystals are also a pozzolan that can be added to concrete to change its behavior, or used on their own as a weak cement.
    Wood ash also contains a significant amount of potassium hydroxide, which has a lot of uses. Potassium hydroxide is a relative of lye (sodium hydroxide) that is nearly identical in usage. You can make soap with it, in fact you can make soap with your skin oils instantly just by wetting your hands and rubbing some wood ash on them, after a few seconds add more water and rub your hands. This is also a step in making potassium nitrate with its own host of uses, like black powder.

    • @hischild8899
      @hischild8899 Před 3 lety +3

      Good to know...thanks

    • @Ryan-pz9th
      @Ryan-pz9th Před 3 lety +2

      Do you know how to make PN? I’d like to know

    • @buttons9627
      @buttons9627 Před 3 lety +6

      Wow I love this comment, very informative!

    • @did4196
      @did4196 Před 3 lety +1

      Thank you for this comment.

    • @ottohound
      @ottohound Před 3 lety

      @@Ryan-pz9th KNO3 I think.

  • @gregkral4467
    @gregkral4467 Před 3 lety +47

    When I got my house, the old folks there used to dump all the firepit ash in their flowerbeds, no plants there, but lots of ash, we tore those beds apart and made a garden outta it, and some construction site topsoil from down the alley. I have never seen such huge carrots in my life, ash is awesome in the garden. Carrots as thick as my wrists, potatoes were great, corn was great, just wow......

    • @bitkarek
      @bitkarek Před 3 lety

      coz it contains potasium... pot ash... ash :)

    • @phylliskrafft
      @phylliskrafft Před 3 lety +1

      Ash for carrots ? Interesting.

  • @nhz5527
    @nhz5527 Před 2 lety +1

    That’s a good tip about the wood stove glass, I’ll try that this winter. I use ash in my driveway every winter, works great in ice!

  • @lindalober626
    @lindalober626 Před 2 lety

    I have been using ash in my garden and around my Rose of Sharon. It is amazing when you recycle how God makes it all work for you. Thanks for sharing nice Homestead!

  • @dac9666
    @dac9666 Před 3 lety +243

    Step one when emptying ashes into a container: check which way the breeze is blowing and move your container down wind.

    • @susanc.ganzel7108
      @susanc.ganzel7108 Před 3 lety +2

      😄

    • @Mike-gt1cs
      @Mike-gt1cs Před 3 lety +2

      My parents had a coal furnace; the sting of the ash smoke filling my nostrils as I shoveled out the furnace is a familiar, if caustic, memory from my childhood. We used the coal ash on our sidewalks, to help melt snow and ice.

    • @orgbortondave6539
      @orgbortondave6539 Před 3 lety +7

      Use a dust mask also.

    • @diannespringer2459
      @diannespringer2459 Před 3 lety +1

      U do the same thing when emptying my container as well.

    • @Gr8Layks
      @Gr8Layks Před 3 lety +4

      Walt and the Dude learned the hard way.

  • @rpeltier2621
    @rpeltier2621 Před 3 lety +93

    The reason ash becomes as hard as concrete is because ash, also known as cinder, is the main component of a cinder block.

    • @robinsonbetonbouwrobbo8847
      @robinsonbetonbouwrobbo8847 Před 3 lety

      Fly ash im just debating weather to add some to my concrete algorithms new i have not even spoke just thought hmmm ash an this vid came

    • @Bleilock1
      @Bleilock1 Před 3 lety +6

      Thats not the "reason" why it becomes hard as concrete
      The reason is ash's chemical properties
      Its used like cement
      Lol

    • @thomashoffpauer6186
      @thomashoffpauer6186 Před 3 lety +5

      @milkman no, lime is not fly ash. And there are three ingredients in concrete, lime, fly ash and gravel

    • @95frankie
      @95frankie Před 3 lety +3

      Ash cannot become as hard as concrete. Concrete is made up of three ingredients: cement, water, and aggregates. The cement reacts chemically with the water to form the paste that will bind the aggregates together. Cinder blocks are made with a concrete mix, ash or “cinder” is not the main ingredient. Ash is used partially to replace some cement to make the block lighter in weight.

    • @hoobakam.3931
      @hoobakam.3931 Před 2 lety

      You just blew my mind

  • @beltrams
    @beltrams Před 2 lety +12

    Ash paste works to clean stove windows not just because ash is a fine abrasive, but also because ash+water makes an alkaline lye which is the working ingredient in oven cleaners, etc. The kinds of dirt and creosote on oven walls and woodstove doors are generally weakened by such alkaline materials. Potassium hydroxide is a common restaurant equipment and oven cleaner active ingredient. The combination of abrasive action + potassium hydroxide gets the job done!

  • @stellaunger8568
    @stellaunger8568 Před 2 lety +1

    Best and easiest way to clean the glass door on my wood stove I’ve ever used. I love to see the flames !

  • @judyofthewoods
    @judyofthewoods Před 3 lety +21

    I use the ash-water paste to clean really greasy frying pans or dishes. If vegetable oil ever gets left more than a day on a dish in a warm environment it can end up like plastic and you'd ruin any brush or cloth if you used soap. You just can't shift that goo, except with a tissue or rag dipped into the ash paste. I've also managed at lest partially to deodorise jar twist-top lids which came off pickles and sauces so I can re-use for storing dehydrated food. Just left the lids in the ash for a few weeks. Great stuff.
    Love the oil stain absorbing idea. I've used chalk in the past to get oil stains out of wood, but think ash would work better.

    • @CanineWild
      @CanineWild Před 3 lety +1

      Well you've just solved two problems I've wanted to solve in the kitchen- thanks!!

  • @me92974
    @me92974 Před 3 lety +24

    The looks that you gave your wife, the out takes of "ass", and your wife zooming in on the rooster were hilarious! Great video!

  • @m.a.nugent8278
    @m.a.nugent8278 Před 2 lety +11

    My friend adds some kerosene to about a third or half bucket of cool ashes. Doesn’t have to be too wet. She uses it as a fire starter for her wood burning stoves. Doesn’t take much to ignite her wood. She has been using this for years to light her wood stove in the living room and the wood burning cook stove in the kitchen, which keeps her kitchen toasty warm in the winter.

  • @RichLeighton
    @RichLeighton Před 2 lety +10

    Ash in cement makes it really heavy and strong. It's often used in making outdoor ornamental flowerpots, especially the huge ones for trees.

  • @michaels3972
    @michaels3972 Před 3 lety +347

    When we have fire ants, or any type of ants in our garden, instead of using chemicals to kill the ants and risk getting it into our food, we just put ash on them . . . works EVERY time!

    • @lukewarmwater6412
      @lukewarmwater6412 Před 3 lety +39

      ash suffocates the ants, diatomite cuts them and kills them just as well. both are pet friendly and will also control fleas. also if you just scatter ash in a place where evergreens grow you may find morel mushrooms growing next spring/summer.

    • @LemonySnicket-EUC
      @LemonySnicket-EUC Před 3 lety +2

      @John Gohde yes it does.

    • @EvilSearchEngine
      @EvilSearchEngine Před 3 lety +1

      @John Gohde Yes it does! John Gohde said so!

    • @ironmantooltime
      @ironmantooltime Před 3 lety +30

      Does it kill the transgenders? 🤔

    • @witchofthewildwoods3496
      @witchofthewildwoods3496 Před 3 lety +6

      @@lukewarmwater6412 Yes! We get morels growing around our fire pits every year. Western cedar is native here.

  • @deborahsinico9732
    @deborahsinico9732 Před 4 lety +260

    I use my ash around the base of my house to get rid of Ants coming into the house. It really does work!

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 4 lety +21

      Oh that's a good one to know. We will have to try that this spring. Although our chickens do a great job of getting our ants, some do get into the house.

    • @WollongongSkyWatch
      @WollongongSkyWatch Před 4 lety +21

      Thank you Deborah! I use it to clean my stainless steel pots, ceramic teacups, teaspoons, etc. It shines them up really well. It also keeps fly away from the dog dung bucket.

    • @EarlyMusicDiva
      @EarlyMusicDiva Před 4 lety +24

      It's said you can also use it around the legs of beehive stands (on the ground) to keep ants out of your hives. I'm going to try it this year - we had a colony of honey bees abscond because of the ants coming up into their hive. Hoping the ash will keep the ants out and the bees in.

    • @WollongongSkyWatch
      @WollongongSkyWatch Před 4 lety +13

      @@EarlyMusicDiva I really hope it works for you! I sprinkle baby powder around my yard chairs to maintain a bite-free perimeter, although they only bite when I have shoes on. I'm not sure if diomateceous earth will work, but it's worth a shot.
      Sitting the legs of the hive in small trays of water will deter ants. I have no experience with hives, just drawing on my experience with cat food. Of ants: a few weeks after my last cat died (16yrs old), I woke to an unfamiliar scent. When I opened the front door it looked like someone had spilled rice all along the weatherboard line of the porch area. The ants, unable to support their growing numbers, had evicted the excess lavae.

    • @gabriellescouarnec8327
      @gabriellescouarnec8327 Před 4 lety +9

      @@EarlyMusicDiva We scribble with chalk on the legs. It works (but we are in a very dry country, so it lasts.)

  • @rosalbadelriogarcia9598
    @rosalbadelriogarcia9598 Před rokem +2

    🎉🎉🎉 I didnt realize you were the same person. Congratulations to you and your family! and much success in all your endevours!. #carnivorecure

  • @jamesmitchell6017
    @jamesmitchell6017 Před rokem +1

    Really enjoyed your video, as we have plenty of wood ash. It works great on rose plants. All these ideas are GREAT, when you can save money.

  • @allanmills6170
    @allanmills6170 Před 4 lety +169

    If you have an outdoor "long drop" toilet, you can mix the wood ash with sawdust and sprinkle the mixture into the toilet once you have done your business and it helps stop smells and also speeds up the composting process

    • @TheKSProduction
      @TheKSProduction Před 3 lety +4

      Why not just wood ash?

    • @johnbuck7538
      @johnbuck7538 Před 3 lety +5

      We mixed the ash with lime kept the bucket in the outhouse

    • @harrycojones4273
      @harrycojones4273 Před 3 lety +1

      @@johnbuck7538 ... where can you buy lime in small quantities?

    • @johnbuck7538
      @johnbuck7538 Před 3 lety +8

      @@harrycojones4273 Add lime to the compost bin. This will drastically reduce the time it has to sit, before being safe to bury or spread on non-edible plants. Use roughly 3% lime to total waste volume - i.e. if you have a full 50 gallon drum of waste, use 1.5 gallons of lime. My father bought it locally in upstate NY (Adirondacks) we had a 30 or 50 lb bag which we left at the camp over winter. The idea was that when the hole was full we'd dig out the compost in spring (between 5 and 10 years) and spread it on the forest floor (didn't smell as bad after the winter). I was too young to keep track of my father's purchase of the Lime and rarely did I mix the ash and lime. We had 2 stoves to collect the Ash from and a fire pit. The ash was placed in a bucket and the lime mixed in. Generally we only spread a small amount of ash and lime (about an 8th or quarter of a fruit can). The Lime lasted us for several summers. At the peak use of the Outhouse there were 6 family members and sometimes guests, However the longest we stayed there was 2 months each year. We shared it with another family of 6 and they came up for the one month we weren't there. No mater who opened the camp we closed it until the other family sold their share of the camp. By then I was in the military.I had one older sister who was interested in the running and maintenance of the camp and as a result the rest of us were not as active in the care of the camp. This process with the lime was important since our well water was down stream of the outhouse. The Well was never contaminated since it was dug 60 years ago.

    • @johnbuck7538
      @johnbuck7538 Před 3 lety +6

      @@TheKSProduction Add lime and it speeds up the break down of the solid waist. You can add more ash or sawdust to absorb the urine.

  • @toolspayless
    @toolspayless Před 4 lety +19

    I have always put it on my drive way it's great for traction in the winter.

  • @Uriah625
    @Uriah625 Před 2 lety +6

    I use my ash mainly for melting snow, but only in NO foot traffic areas. Also, is great as a traction aid. I keep a five gallon bucket in my vehicles just in case.

  • @britnyank9002
    @britnyank9002 Před 2 lety +3

    Melting ice on the driveway. I KNEW IT! When I was a kid I would spread ash on our driveway in the winter if it was icy. I told my Dad that it worked and he told me that I had to be wrong. I thought that perhaps the sun would hit it and that's why it melted. I didn't know why, but I knew it was working! VINDICATION!

  • @Zorro127127
    @Zorro127127 Před 3 lety +42

    TIP: I use mineral oil (with a small paint brush) on my wood boiler door gaskets every third time I do a cleanout. They swell back up and It makes them last a really long time with a good seal. Otherwise they get cooked from the heat they are exposed to.

  • @diaryofbrian
    @diaryofbrian Před 3 lety +5

    Yesterday I cleaned the ash out of my firepit and today youtube suggested this video.

  • @nancybullock6694
    @nancybullock6694 Před rokem +6

    Clean wood ashes are excellent to soak an infected part of your body in, put 1 to 2 cups of wood ashes in a pan, add hot water (as hot as you can stand) then soak the affected body part, add more hot water when it cool then continue soaking till the water cools off. Repeat couple times a day

    • @adrianjohnson7920
      @adrianjohnson7920 Před rokem

      Wow. When civilisation crashes, I'm gonna remember this one. 😯

  • @hoofgripweightlifting6872

    Oh wow. We started using wood burner oven this year after 20-plus years on propane. We also have a homestead and veggie garden. Thanks much for the useful info!!!!

  • @CarolReidCA
    @CarolReidCA Před 3 lety +56

    Make soap! Add water & oils, then personalize with essential oils, spices, herbs, salt or sugar for a scub, micronized oats to soothe skin, and so on.
    Also, the lye from running water through it through a strainer makes a good drain cleaner too!

  • @GarryTibbo
    @GarryTibbo Před 4 lety +90

    I put ashes on my cabin floor and sweep every where with them. No mice bugs in the cabin easily for a year. Warrior of truth Garry.

    • @Homesteadhow
      @Homesteadhow  Před 4 lety +9

      Nice- this is a new comment- and great idea I hadn't considered- thanks

    • @nathantweeddale9057
      @nathantweeddale9057 Před 3 lety +10

      Rub them in your hair before going outside... no ticks!

    • @allysonh6410
      @allysonh6410 Před 3 lety +2

      Im dumb. What's mice bugs

    • @Exlaax
      @Exlaax Před 3 lety +4

      @@allysonh6410 mice or bugs lol

    • @HollywoodCreeper
      @HollywoodCreeper Před 3 lety +1

      Fleas. Ashes stop bubonic plague.

  • @dickJohnsonpeter
    @dickJohnsonpeter Před 2 lety +6

    Cool video, I used it for fertilizer once and you could certainly make potash from it but I believe the ash is quite basic. I didn't do a litmus test so correct me if I'm wrong but I do know it would be important to consider the needs of specific plants before trying it as a general fertilizer.

  • @Tailspin80
    @Tailspin80 Před 2 lety +3

    I’ve been cleaning the glass in the log burner with ash for the last 15 years. It was in the instructions and works very well. Just get a damp J cloth, dab it in the ash and rub round the glass. Then find a clean bit of J cloth and wipe it off. Chuck away the J cloth at the end (just old ones that were used for other things first).

  • @himbohound3692
    @himbohound3692 Před 3 lety +9

    I don’t even have any and I watched this through. I think my favorite tip was the cleaning for the door. That was neat. The oil cleanup was cool too.

  • @willcool713
    @willcool713 Před 2 lety +88

    Equal parts ash, charcoal, and mushroom compost, can turn household and yard compost to topsoil in no time. You only need a few shovel fulls to a wheelbarrow of compost, but you have to keep turning it, and you have to keep it covered or in a closed bin. The pores in the charcoal soak in tons of nutrients and become the basis to a rich, black loam, similar to what forms after forest fires.

    • @hoobakam.3931
      @hoobakam.3931 Před 2 lety +2

      Interesting 👍

    • @krisbaker9427
      @krisbaker9427 Před 2 lety +4

      Except if you have neutral ph or high ph. Your method only works for low ph soil.

  • @k.polanchekfntp8033
    @k.polanchekfntp8033 Před rokem

    I have a bucket of ash and was wondering what I can do with it just today. Glad my phone can read my mind. Thx for the great tips!