A Quick Guide on How to Dispose of Fireplace Ashes
Wood-burning fireplaces are a cozy and popular way to heat up your home during the colder months. But once the fire is out, you are left with a pile of ashes that need to be disposed of properly.
If not done correctly, disposing of ashes can be dangerous for you and your family. They can remain hot for hours or even days after the fire has been extinguished, which can easily lead to accidental fires.
Therefore, when cleaning up after a fire in the fireplace, it’s important to take the necessary precautions. As we already mentioned, ashes can be hot and dangerous, so it’s important to know when and how to dispose of them safely and efficiently. Here is a quick guide on how to do it!
Allow Ashes to accumulate in the fireplace.
It is a common and somewhat big mistake to dispose of the ashes from the fireplace after every use. Instead, you should allow them to accumulate over time. This is because ashes actually help to insulate the fire and make it burn more efficiently. A thin layer of ashes (about an inch) will do the trick!
Letting the ashes pile up beyond this point (about an inch tall) could be dangerous, as it increases the risk of accidental fires. For more tips on how to keep your chimney safe to use click right here.
When is the best time to remove the ashes from your chimney?
A good rule of thumb is to remove the ashes from your fireplace when the pile gets close to the bottom part of your fire logs grate. You don’t want the ashes to block oxygen from getting to the wood, as this could make it harder to start a fire next time.
You should also give the fire enough time to cool itself down. As hot embers could still be present among the ashes, it’s best to wait at least 24 hours after your last fire before attempting to start to dispose of them.
If you don’t want to deal with the ashes at all we recommend investing in an electric or gas fireplace, that way you can avoid ashes altogether!
How to remove fireplace ashes?
Even though you must likely give the ashes more than enough time to cool off, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, the best way to remove fireplace ashes is by using a metal shovel or spade. You should also wear gloves and a dust mask to avoid any potential health hazards.
Pro Tip:
If you want to be extra cautious, you can also wet the ashes before shoveling them. This will help to avoid any accidental dust clouds that could contain hot embers.
This is The Best Way to Dispose of your Fireplace Ashes
The process is very simple, start by gently scooping the ashes into a metal bucket. Once the bucket is full, you can then transfer the ashes to a larger garbage bin or bag. It’s important to make sure that the garbage bin or bag is airtight so that the ashes can’t escape.
And that’s it! very simple isn’t it?
How to reuse your fireplace ash?
Most homeowners are not aware that fireplace ashes have many useful purposes around the house! Here are some of the ways you can reuse them:
Let's Do a Quick Recap
- You should allow ashes to accumulate in the fireplace over time as they help to insulate the fire and make it burn more efficiently.
- You should remove the ashes from your fireplace when the pile gets close to the bottom part of your fire logs grate.
- You should give ashes enough time to properly cool off
- You should always use protective gear when removing and disposing of your fireplace ashes
- There are many creative ways to reuse your fireplace ashes around the house!
We hope you found this guide helpful! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to us. We are always happy to help!