REPURPOSING THOSE FIREPLACE ASHES

If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your home, you’ve probably been using it quite a lot this winter. And that means you’ve had to deal with disposing of the ashes that accumulate after each fire. Instead of tossing those ashes, here are a few clever uses for repurposing them. Just keep in mind that ashes stay hot well after a fire burns out. Store and cool ashes in a metal container for at least four days before using.

Instead of salt, which contaminates the soil, sprinkle ash on driveways to aid in tire traction. You can also keep a bucket of ash in your car for emergencies when you get stuck in the snow or on ice.

Summer will be here before you know it. Do you have problems with slugs in your garden? Those pesky critters just love to attack my tomato plants. Turns out you can sprinkle ash evenly around your garden beds to keep slugs away from your flowers and vegetables.

And speaking of gardening, ash tea is a great fertilize for your houseplants. Make a “tea bag” by filling a cloth bag with ashes. Tie securely with string. Steep the “tea” bag in 5 gallons of water for a few days. Use the “tea” to water your plants.

Ashes can also be used to polish metal. Mix up a cup with a little bit of water to make a paste, and rub it on the metal.

Have you ever spilled cooking grease or oil from your grill on your cement or stone patio? Wood ashes to the rescue! Pour ashes on the spill, then rub it into the stain with a cloth. The ash will absorb the grease or oil. Finish by wiping off the ashes.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS--WAYS TO #RECYCLE #COFFEE GROUNDS

Last week we talked about natural beauty treatmentsusing coffee grounds. Today we’ve got some household uses for those same used grounds.

Many people recycle their used coffee grounds by dumping them onto their composting pile. Coffee grounds make excellent “green” matter because they’re rich in nitrogen. In addition, the coffee attracts beneficial worms. However, there are quite a few other uses for those coffee grounds once you’ve gotten your daily (or in my case, hourly) caffeine fix.

You can make fertilizer with used coffee grounds. The coffee adds nitrogen and potassium to the soil and boosts magnesium to help keep plants healthy. Simply mix the grounds with grass clippings or brown leaves and spread the mixture around your plants. You’ll need to add lime or wood ash to the mix to encourage blooms and fruit, though, because without it your fertilizer will lack calcium and phosphorous.

If you just need to lower the pH levels in your soil for hydrangeas, azaleas, and rhododendron bushes, sprinkle used grounds around the base of the plants.

If you don’t like using salt to keep from slipping on your icy steps, sidewalk, or driveway and have found kitty litter creates too much of a mess, try substituting used coffee grounds.

Got furniture scratches and nicks? Dip a Q-Tip into wet grounds and dab to hide the marks.

Before you clean the ashes out of your fireplace, cover them with damp grounds. This will minimize the ash dust created when you sweep out the hearth.

Used coffee grounds will absorb odors in your refrigerator and freezer in much the same way as baking soda. Place a small open container of used grounds in the back of your fridge. Swap out with newer used grounds once a month.

Coffee grounds are a natural abrasive. Replace harsh chemicals with used coffee grounds to scour away stuck-on food from dishes, pots, and counters.

Want an antique look for cloth, paper, needlework or other arts and craft projects? Wet coffee grounds are an excellent natural dye. Add water to the grounds and soak the material until the desired shade is achieved.