The Kitchen Cleaning Hack That's Hiding In Your Fireplace

When the weather turns cold, many people add warmth to their homes by baking or cooking more comfort foods in the oven. Something about a warm casserole or fresh cookies seems to just warm you up from the inside. The delicious smells are pretty cozy, too. But all that baking and casserole cooking often leads to spills, and oven doors can get a little grimy over time. There are plenty of commercial cleaners on the market to help you remove the baked-on grease and grime, but they often contain harmful fumes. According to the American Lung Association, oven cleaners can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be linked to asthma and respiratory illnesses. A quick internet search for alternatives also turns up tons of popular oven cleaning hacks, many of which you should avoid. 

Luckily, there is a simple, non-hazardous cleaning hack that you may already have in your home. There are also a few things more welcoming when it's cold outside than a warm, cheerful fireplace or a wood-burning stove. It might surprise you to learn that the ashes created by burning wood make an unexpected yet fantastic cleaner. Simply make a paste with some wood ash and a little water for a mildly abrasive glass cleaner. Ashes also contain lye, which is a natural degreaser. It's excellent for cleaning, but it can be caustic, so make sure you wear protective gloves when cleaning with it.

Make sure the ashes are completely cooled before gathering them. Make a paste by mixing the ashes with a little bit of water. Remove any large, gritty pieces, as that could scratch the glass. Once you've made the paste, gently rub it on the glass using a damp cloth or paper towel. Rinse by wiping the area with a clean, wet cloth. While the fireplace may seem like an unlikely source for finding a cleaner, wood ash has been used to clean things for centuries. It can be used in a similar way to polish silverware and glass stovetops.

You'll get great ash for cleaning if you spread out the embers after letting the fire die out, and avoid a common wood-burning fireplace mistake. But as long as you haven't doused the fire in water to put it out, you can easily repurpose fireplace ash around your home and garden. Slugs and snails hate the stuff, so sprinkle some around your plants to protect them. It is also a great alternative to salt when de-icing driveways and sidewalks. Be sure to use a thin layer, though, because too much potassium from the ash can harm nearby plants.