How to Dispose of and Reuse Ashes From Your Fireplace or Firepit

If you've been using your wood-burning fireplace or outdoor firepit for a little while now, you may be wondering how exactly to dispose of the ashes. One cord of wood produces 50 pounds of ashes, so it's safe to say you'll need someplace to put them all.

Though you can certainly toss ashes out with the garbage in many municipalities (while of course ensuring you are following some basic safety steps), there are actually a surprising number of ways to reuse them in and around the house.

Unless local rules forbid it, you can usually dispose of ashes by simply throwing them out with your regular garbage. However, you must make sure the ashes are completely cool first, and this can take some time. Ashes and coals can easily remain hot for hours or even days after the fire is out, even if they look and feel cool on the surface.

Before you toss out all of your ashes, it should be noted that during the burning season it's a good practice to maintain a 1-inch-thick layer of ash at the bottom of your fireplace, woodstove, or firepit. This can help insulate the coals and ensure that your fire burns bright and hot. Anything over that 1-inch threshold, however, should be removed to avoid the risk of accidental fires or carbon monoxide exposure.

Here are just a few simple steps you need to take to safely dispose of firepit ashes:

The longer you can wait, the cooler your ashes will be. Before you start scooping up the ashes and cleaning the fireplace, stir them with a fireplace poker or shovel to make sure there aren't hot embers hiding in the middle of the ash pile. To ensure you don't get burned, it's a good idea to wear protective gloves just in case.

Even if your ashes seem cold, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Scoop the ashes into a metal container with a lid, using a metal shovel or hand spade. When you're finished, pour a little water into the metal bucket, place the lid on the container, and place it outside at least 10 feet away from your home or anything flammable.

When your bucket of ash gets full, you can pour off any excess water and then place the ashes in a garbage bag and put them out in your trash can. Wait at least three days after adding ash to the bucket to do this.

If you ask someone how to dispose of ashes from a firepit, they may tell you not to do so — because there are actually several ways you can use old ashes around the house. If you do, the first step is to transfer them to a metal ash bucket just as you would to dispose of them. Then, you can use them when you're ready rather than throwing them away.

Mixing cooled ashes into your garden soil or using them to side-dress your plants is a great way to make your soil more acidic. If you compost, you can add about 1 cup of ash to every 1.5 cubic feet of compost in your bin or compost pile instead of putting the ash directly on your soil. Some plants that love acidic soil include:

• Azaleas
• Blueberries
• Hydrangeas
• Magnolias
• Phlox
• Rhododendrons

Not only can ash help some plants grow but it can also keep away many garden pests. Slugs and snails do not like the acidity in wood ash and will avoid it if they can. As such, sprinkling some ash around and throughout your garden can serve as a repellent to keep these common pests at bay. Remember to avoid sprinkling ash directly on your plants, and add more ash after it rains or when you water the garden.

Your ashes can serve two purposes in snowy weather. For one, sprinkling ash on snowy and icy walkways can help provide traction. Second, ash melts ice and snow without the harmful effects of rock salt. Because the ash is dark, it absorbs the heat from the sun and melts snow surprisingly quickly.

The acidic nature of wood ash can burn through drain clogs without the harsh chemicals often found in drain cleaners. To unclog your drain with ash:

1. Save some fine white or gray ash and don't add any water to it.
2. Pour 1 cup of the ash into the drain. Then, pour 1 cup of hot distilled water into the drain.
3. Let the ash sit in the drain for two or three hours.
4. Flush the drain thoroughly.

Baking soda is a great way to absorb unwanted odors, but ashes can do the same thing for free. Simply place a dish of ashes in your refrigerator or in the room with the odor and let it absorb all the unpleasantness. Change the ashes every few days for continuous odor absorption.

You can also use ashes to get rid of the smell if you or your dog tangles with a skunk. Rub some ashes into your skin or your dog's fur and let them sit for a few minutes before rinsing them off.

No matter how careful you are in the garage, oil spills or greasy fluids sometimes find their way onto the floor. When they do, sprinkling some fireplace ash on them will absorb the stain in the same way as cat litter. Give the ash some time to absorb the spill and then simply sweep up the ashes.