Home gardener Rob Benson (@buckhorncliffs) imparted wisdom on TikTok with the very best solutions for leftover wood ash — which is the leftover powder from burning wood. The best way is not what you would expect.

The scoop

"Don't let it go to waste," the creator wrote in the caption of the video, describing their tip as a way of "transforming wood ash into gold."

The steps are simple. First, drill a hole in the lid of a 5 gallon bucket. Then, fill the bucket halfway to three-quarters full with wood ash. Finally, attach a grout or thin-set mixing paddle to your drill, and mix the ash thoroughly.

@buckhorncliffs 🌿🔥 Transforming Wood Ash into Gold: A DIY Guide 🔥🌿 Ever wondered what to do with the leftover ash from your cozy fires? Don't let it go to waste. Here's a simple DIY project followed by amazing uses for wood ash that might just surprise you: Step 1: Drill a hole in the lid of a 5-gallon bucket. Step 2: Fill the bucket 1/2 to 3/4 full with wood ash. Step 3: Attach a grout or thinset mixing paddle to your drill, and mix the ash thoroughly. Now, for the magic part - the uses of this potent powder: ✨ Fertilizer Gold: Enrich your garden with the potassium, phosphorus, and calcium carbonate found in wood ash. 🌱 pH Miracle Worker: Alkaline in nature, wood ash can sweeten acidic soils, bringing balance to your garden haven. 🐌 Pest Deterrent: Say goodbye to slugs and snails without harming your plants. 🌼 Compost Booster: Amp up your compost's nutrient profile by mixing in some wood ash. 🧼 Natural Cleaner: Mix with water to form lye, perfect for shining up silverware and glass. 🚫 Odor Eliminator: Combat odors naturally, whether it's cat pee in the barn or a funky fridge. 🧴 Soap Crafting: Channel your inner artisan by using wood ash in traditional soap making. ❄️ Ice Melter: Sprinkle on icy paths for a pet-friendly way to reduce slips. 💧 Survival Filter: In a pinch? Use wood ash layers in a makeshift water filter for emergency purification. What's your favorite way to use wood ash, or do you have a unique tip to share? Curious about creating a water filter with wood ash? Let me know in the comments below! #WoodAshWonder #EcoDIY #SustainableLiving #GardeningHacks #DIYProjects ♬ original sound - Rob Benson

How it's helping

Once the wood ash is a fine powder, the creator described a magic nine different uses for it. It can be used to enrich your garden with potassium, phosphorus, and calcium carbonate, which the creator describes as "fertilizer gold."

Further, it can be a pH miracle worker, "bringing balance to your garden haven" because it's alkaline. The mixture is also a way to keep slugs and snails off your plants. It can also boost your compost by being used to "amp up your compost's nutrient profile."

Surprisingly, it can be a natural cleaner by mixing it with water to form lye, which is "perfect for shining up silverware and glass." It also has potential as an odor eliminator, as it can combat odors naturally "whether it's cat pee in the barn or a funky fridge."

One can use it for soap crafting, melting ice on paths for a pet-friendly way to reduce slips, and finally, you can use wood ash layers in a makeshift water filter for emergency purification.

Options such as these make it easy to have a self-sufficient garden. By utilizing the powder as a fertilizer, you can grow your own food, eliminating the cost, carbon, and chemicals associated with store-bought items.

The Cool Down's Guide to growing your own food estimates you can save up to $600 of produce per year. Using this hack, that can be even more without fertilizer costs. 

Which of these benefits is your biggest motivation in gardening? Getting outside more 🌱 Growing healthy food 🥕 Making my yard beautiful 🏡 I don't garden 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

What people are saying

Commenters not only loved the ideas, but they added on a few themselves.

"[I] used [it] in pottery for glazing," one user wrote.

Another suggested using it while camping to cover waste and keep the flies away.

Others explained that to use the wood ash as a water filter, it is essential to boil it and then grind it, as it can be dangerous to ingest without these steps.

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