If you own a fireplace, wood-burner or a multi-fuel stove then it is absolutely crucial that you have a smoke alarm installed in your home. Why? Because it can save lives.

Smoke alarms can detect smoke fast, giving you time to get out of the house if there was ever a fire. The National Fire Protection Association said ‘having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half’ and almost two- thirds of home fire deaths are due to fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. This stresses how important it is to ensure you have a working smoke alarm.

What you should do:

• Ensure you install a smoke alarm in all the rooms in your house and in the hallway.
• Ideally you should test your smoke alarm every week but it is crucial to test your alarm AT LEAST once a month to check that it is still working or if batteries may need replacing.
• When a smoke alarm sets off, go outside and stay outside with your family, until all the rooms have been checked before going back inside.

For more information about the importance of smoke alarms > Click Here

Once the fire is completed, most people would remove the cooled off ashes and dispose it. What most people may not be aware of is that, wood ashes can actually be very useful!

Did you know that wood ashes can…

Act as a Natural Pest Repellent?

It’s true… wood ashes can actually keep slugs and snails away from your flowers, lettuce and vegetables. Simply sprinkle and spread the ashes evenly around your flower bed, patio or where ever you grow your lettuce and you will begin to notice that the ashes will act like a pest repellent.

Please note: Avoid using paper ash, coal or multi-fuel leftover ashes.

Good for Melting Ice and Snow

The perfect combination in winter.

If your driveway is icy, you can use some of your wood-burning firewood ashes to melt the ice off. The good thing about it is that unlike salt it will not ruin the ground or your soil. Give it a go!

Cleans your Stove Glass Windows

All you need to do is rub a little bit of wood ash to a damp sponge and start cleaning your stove glass window with it. It will remove away all the sooty residue and smoke.

This is our advice on 3 ways to make your leftover wood ashes useful; therefore if you wish to act upon any of the information given you should do so at your own risk. We will accept no liability or claims from the activities arising from the information set out in our web pages.