I knew one could use wood ashes for lye soap, water filtration and an upset tummy. Wood ashes are what most dispose of but looks like preppers should always have some on hand. Free, multiple uses and easy to make.... 30 uses for wood ashes, you never thought of. Great read. The disclaimer is one everyone should pay attention to. Any other used of ashes that you can think of that were not mentioned in the article? http://www.mentalscoop.com/30-uses-for-wood-ashes/
In the 1940's the price you were paid for your milk was dependent on an inspection process. It determined if you were paid for Grade A milk or about 1/3 rd less for Grade B milk. All of the farms had a "milk house" where the milk pails etc were stored and all had a ceramic crock of concentrated lye, either "Lewis" or made from wood ashes. A diluted solution was made to wash the milk equipment in. It sterilized the pails, cans, strainers, etc and disoloved the milk deposits that were not removed by.washing and showed up under ultra violet light and gave you an automatic B Grade. I have also seen the diluted solution used as a disinfectant for white clothing and sheets as chlorine bleach was a store bought item. In 1956 when I joined the USAF and pulled my first KP, I found out why it had taken a while to adjust to mess hall food. The soap the cooks used had an excess of lye and the bars were disoloved in boiling water, made in a garbage can with a steam hose, and diluted to use as needed. Then when we went out in the field, they sterilized the mess kits, canteen cups and such with lye soap in a garbage can and rinsed them in several cans of clean water. Seems like the military had figured the system out in the previous 100 years. Might come in handy if you have a wood stove and the local walmart is closed for the duration. When we were first settled in the 1600's one of the first big cash crops was "pot ash" as we had an overabundance of trees and England did not
Motomom, Yes, Thanks. I love all the old ways. But my citified neices and nephews, like most everything around here, would just say "Ewww..."
I've always dumped wood ash in a spot in the chicken yard for the hens to take dust baths in. Works great for lice and mites. Used to dust the goats with it as well. Never bothered with a paste, just dusted them.
You can clean your camp dishes with wood ash mixed with the fats from your food, and a bit of water to make a crude soap.
I use it to season my compost heap, every few weeks throw a paper bag full of it, wait for morning to dampen it, chop open the bag and spread the ash over the compost, then cover it with fresh cut flora, eh voila
