What should I do with my ashes?

Question

I recently bought my boyfriend and I a charcoal grill. He doesn't want to throw the ashes away in the dumpster, so I am wondering if anyone knows a way to dispose of the ashes, but in a way that is environmentally friendly. Is there a practical way to reuse/recycle them?

Answer 1

the first thing is to cool them off -mix them with water.  when they have cooled completely, use them in your gardens -they are very healthy for the soil.

Answer 2

ashes are good for plants,cornfields etc,

Answer 3

mix them with some ground good for plants.

Answer 4

you can use some of them for your inground plants. Not an overabundance or you change the acid level and neutralize the soil. But a light spinkling over the dirt, then raked in is beneficial.

Answer 5

i agreewith the other posters...great for plants.

Answer 6

For fireplaces that have a glass door, clean it with ash. Just mix a bit of ash with a little water, and with a sponge or rag, wipe to the glass clean.

Has your dog been sprayed by a skunk recently? If so, just rub some cool ash into your dogs coat to help neutralize the odor.

Ash can be spread around the perimeter of your garden to keep slugs, cutworms, and snails away. When the insects move over the ash it sticks to their bodies, drawing the moisture right out of them.

To make your silver shine, mix some water with some ash, till you get a paste. Rub the paste on good, and wipe away, rinsing may be necessary also.

Sprinkle ash on slippery steps, walkways and driveways so as not to slip. Be sure to wipe your feet good before going inside though, ash is easy to track everywhere.

Does your wood furniture have water rings on it? Mix water and ash to make a paste and rub over area, follow with a good furniture polish.

The calcium and potassium in ash makes a great plant food, because they encourages blooming. Sprinkle ash around plants that thrive on alkaline such as, roses, lilac and clematis, but not on acidic loving plants like azaleas and rhododendrons.

For ice walkways, sprinkle some ash around. Not only will the ash help for traction, but it will also melt the ice.

If you have trouble with the glare from the sun or bright lights, a little ash and baby oil can help. Put one or two drops of baby oil on your finger and add a little bit of ash, then carefully apply under your eyes.

Answer 7

Ashes are a good nutrient for plants.  You could mix them with the soil in your flower beds.

Answer 8

If you have a big enough area, you can scatter them around.  They can also be added to a compost pile. You should do so with caution, though.  Use sparingly as too much can burn the lawn or overwhelm the compost pile.  

One caution: make sure there are no embers left! From a fire department website:

"Dispose of all hot ashes in a safe manner. After the fire is extinguished, all leftover hot ash material must be thoroughly dampened, cooled, and stored in a metal can that is used solely for ash storage. Ashes that are two or three days old may appear to be safe, but can still retain enough heat to cause an unwanted fire."

If you have a regular-sized lawn (5,000 to 10,000 square feet) and he is grilling multiple times per week, there will be too much ash to recycle in this way.  Perhaps a gas grill would be better for some of the grilling? I know I have one of each.

Another thought I had was that you might be able to use these ashes in making home-made soap. I tried looking this up, but didn't find much information.  I know that soap was often made from lye derived from ashes. This is just a stray idea, perhaps worthy of a separate question on Yahoo  Answers. You'd still have something to dispose of after you're done, but at least they would be wet and not a fire hazard.