Do you have a fire pit or fireplace? If yes, what do you do with the remaining charcoal after using any of the two? My guess is that you gather it up and throw it away. This is why would should have charcoal around the property.

After reading this, you’ll want to scatter charcoal throughout your home instead of throwing it away because these uses will blow your mind.

What is Charcoal?

Charcoal is the black carbon residue you get after heating wood (or other plant and animal materials) in an oxygen-restricted environment. As it burns, wood releases all the water and sap and neutralizes toxins. What is left behind is pure ash, carbon, and potassium.

There are different types of charcoal like activated charcoal, which has a lot of health benefits, and charcoal briquette, which is great for outdoor cooking.

But today, I’ll be talking about the common charcoal you get after heating wood without additives.

Related: 30 Survival Uses For Wood Ashes You Never Thought Of

Uses Of Charcoal Around The Property

Supercharging Compost

Charcoal is rich in carbon, making it great for compost. Add some to each compost layer to help nutrients spread and materials break down.

Charcoal neutralizes acidic items like pineapple peels and works to absorb odors and gases, keeping your compost “greener.”

At first, your heap will need extra water since charcoal absorbs moisture. The good news?

When the compost heats up, the charcoal releases that moisture, helping the composting process run smoothly. It even helps with eliminating odors that can build up in compost piles.

Just remember that for the microorganisms to be efficient at their job, your heap will need water, oxygen, and food from the biomass.

Soil Conditioner

Because of the high potassium content, charcoal acts as an excellent soil conditioner and is a quality replacement for lime in soil additives.

Sterile charcoal is an incredible soil amendment when mixed with different soil types.

• When you add it to sandy soil, nutrient retention, moisture, and particle aggregation will improve, and erosion will reduce.
  When you add it to clay soil, drainage, workability, and air circulation will improve.
  In all soils, compaction will reduce, and they will become healthier, delivering healthier crops, vegetables, and plants.

Neutralize Soil Poisons

Some trees, like walnut trees, produce toxic hormones that get into the soil by leaves that wither and fall to the ground. If you want to plant anything around these trees, they will die.

To neutralize the soil poisons, you should add charcoal to the soil to absorb the poison before planting anything.

Pesticide Removal and Cleanup

The absorption qualities of charcoal make it ideal for neutralizing the harmful effects of pesticides.

Activated charcoal works best for cleaning up pesticides due to its fine particles. If you don’t have it, crush regular charcoal into smaller pieces for a similar effect.

To treat pesticide buildup, mix one pound of charcoal with a gallon of water. This mixture can cover 100-150 square feet of soil. For larger areas, consider spraying the solution across the affected space.

Charcoal Mulch

You don’t always need plant material to mulch. You can use charcoal, which can be just as effective, if not more.

Charcoal mulch forms a protective layer on soil, locking in moisture and eliminating odors from decaying plants.

It also blocks weed growth and enhances the look of your garden. Around light-colored plants, it adds contrast, making their colors pop for a fresh, vibrant appearance.

Organic Insect Killer

Natural powdered charcoal is extremely effective at eliminating odors and killing soft-shelled invertebrates like termites, ants, beetles, and snails. Sprinkling this powder around your garden will kill pests without leaving behind toxic residue.

As rain dilutes the charcoal, be sure to reapply it regularly.

Related: Most Threatening Insects You Should Keep Away From Your Garden

Fridge

Some homesteaders in rural areas without electricity keep fruit and vegetable produce for weeks using an energy-free charcoal chamber. This chamber helps reduce the spoilage rate and allows more time to sell the perishables by maintaining low temperatures.

Warmth causes food to spoil, with ripe tomatoes having a four-day life expectancy. Placing your tomato in a charcoal chamber can boost its shelf life by more than 30 days.

Charcoal is a poor conductor of heat, and it has absorption properties that prevent heat from passing through, thereby keeping the enclosure air cool. The energy-free cooler can keep vegetables and fruits to remain fresh for several weeks.

If your homestead is in a rural area, having a charcoal cooler will benefit you as it will help increase the lifespan of your produce, reducing food waste.

Keep Air Fresh

When wood burns, charcoal becomes porous, allowing it to absorb odors, chemicals, nutrients, and other unwanted smells in the surrounding air.

If you have any musty or unpleasant smells in your oven, basement, storeroom, cellar, or fridge, charcoal can help.

• How to use it: Get a plastic bottle, add pieces of charcoal to it, close the bottle, and perforate it with a couple of holes. Place the bottle in a smelly area to absorb odors and keep the space fresh and clean.

Be sure to keep the bottle out of reach of children and pets.

Animal Feed

Mixing animal feed with a bit of charcoal helps to improve the health and productivity (conversion of feed into milk or meat) of the animal.

Use activated charcoal or crush charcoal pieces and add the powder in small quantities to livestock feed to absorb and remove toxins and greenhouse gases.

Instead of expelling greenhouse gases, the charcoal will absorb the harmful methane that the animals produce and dispose of it as manure. The elements in the manure then help to amend and give nutrients to the soil.

Many homesteaders’ concern about feeding their animals charcoal is that they might overuse it, which allows livestock to tolerate low-quality feed.

Keep Tools Clean and Rust-Free

Charcoal can help keep your tools clean and rust-free. Place chunks of charcoal wherever you store your hammers and nails, as its moisture-absorbing properties will prevent rust.

The same goes for garden tools – putting charcoal in tool storage will absorb moisture and prevent oxidation, keeping your tools sharp and rust-free.

So, what use for charcoal excites you the most? Let us know in the comments! And remember, always consider creative ways to scatter charcoal throughout your home to maximize its benefits.

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