Tips on How to Store Fresh Cedar Chips
Cedar trees have an aromatic wood which is used in the garden, the home, and even to flavor food. Fresh cedar chips are made from cedar wood, and are usually 1 to 2 inches in size. The methods used to store fresh cedar chips will be determined by the way you intend to use them. Does this Spark an idea?
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Cedar Chips for Moth Repellent
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Cedar chips used for moth repellent are stored with the fabrics you want to protect, and require a storage method that will allow the cedar scent to permeate the fabrics. Place clothes or linens in a closed environment, such as a closet, storage containers or bags. Place the cedar chips in a cotton bag that allows the cedar scent to pass through, but will prevent the natural oils in the wood from staining the fabric.
The oils in the cedar wood evaporate over time, so change the cedar chips annually. Use the old chips for garden mulch, or another use that does not rely on the presence of the aromatic oils.
Cedar Chips for Deodorizing
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While cedar chips do not destroy mold spores and bacteria that cause odors, they mask smells that develop in enclosed areas. If you are looking to deodorize a linen closet, fill a wide mouth jar with cedar chips, and place it on the back of a lower shelf. Do not close the jar. Place cedar chips in an old nylon stocking and tie it over a closet rod to give a fresh scent to a clothes closest. Deodorize shoes by filling a small fabric bag with cedar chips and placing the bags inside the shoes. Close the bags tightly so that the chips do not spill into the shoes.
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Cedar Chips for Grilling
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Use cedar chips to flavor meats and vegetables through smoking or grilling. Store the chips so that the oil in the wood, which will flavor the food, doesn't evaporate. Cedar chips are usually sold in plastic bags. If the bags are resealable, store unused portions in the bag they came in. If the bag is not resealable, transfer unused chips to a resealable bag or an airtight container.
Cedar Chips for Mulch
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Cedar wood chips are a garden mulch. Mulches provide a decorative ground cover, keep soil from eroding and minimize weeds. Many insects, such as carpenter ants and termites, however, eat wood and enjoy living in mulch made of bark or wood chips. Cedar wood chips are thought to have some insecticidal properties, so they are less likely to host pests like termites. Store wood chip mulches in the bags they came in, in a cool dry location. If you purchase bulk mulch that is left in a pile on your property, buy only what you will apply that season.
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References
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