7 Fascinating Ways to Use Charcoal in Your Home
You may think that charcoal is just for lighting a fire and grilling or even heating our home. However, it has many more uses than you can imagine.
Today, we’ll take a look at some of its main uses in the home.
It’s going to become your new best friend!
Surprising Uses for Charcoal in the Home
No home should be without this fantastic rock, as it serves as an air purifier, garden helper, and is even good for drawing with your kids.
Here are some of its most interesting uses:
1. Eliminating mold
If you have a moisture problem in your house, you can use charcoal to take care of it.
When you only have small vents in the walls, ceiling, or floor it won’t do to just ventilate or deep clean. You need to get rid of mold once and for all. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements are the most likely environments to be humid and smell bad.
The good news is that this mineral can help get rid of moisture completely.
- Once thoroughly cleaned with bleach, baking soda, or vinegar, the next step is to let charcoal do its thing.
- It’s really easy: place a container with some pieces of charcoal in the affected areas. That could be under the bed, in the dresser, or in the laundry room.
- It absorbs the moisture, shrinking as it does.
- Replace the pieces when they’ve disappeared.
2. Help in the garden and yard
If you have a nice piece of land that’s been giving you too much work and not enough results, you can get help from this excellent natural gardener.
- If your compost smells like ammonia, for example, it needs charcoal. Just mix a little bit in with the organic waste.
- In addition, if you break it into small pieces and sprinkle on top of the grass and base of flowers and trees, your plants will stay moisturized and you’ll get rid of weeds.
- If you have cut or potted flowers in the house, you can make them last longer with charcoal. All you have to do is place a small piece in the bottom of the pot or vase, add the water or soil, and then add the plants.
- It’s especially recommended for orchids (they’re very sensitive and delicate) because they benefit from it’s alkalinity.
3. Purify water
Charcoal traps impurities found in water (industrial waste, chemicals, pesticides, etc). That’s why it’s recommended for use in homes where water quality isn’t the best.
You can also use it when camping to filter water from streams and rivers. Still, be sure to keep in mind that it doesn’t eliminate bacteria, viruses, or minerals.
4. Maintenance of furniture and tools
If you have dark wood furniture or floors, you probably hate to see new hard-to-remove stains or blemishes appear.
You don’t have to run to get an expert, though: you can rub the surface with charcoal and “cover up” the problem until you can get it fixed.
As for tools, charcoal helps prevent them from rusting or getting ruined from disuse. It’s perfect for yard tools. You can rub it directly on them after use, or put a piece in your toolbox.
5. Eliminate bad odors
Does your refrigerator, garbage can, or laundry hamper smell bad? Charcoal is just what the doctor ordered.
Just as it does with moisture, this miracle element has the ability to absorb strong odors.
Put a piece of charcoal in a bowl or breathable bag and leave it in the smelly areas of your house.
You won’t have to worry about those smells anymore!
6. Whiten your teeth
If you want pearly white teeth like you see on toothpaste commercials, you can call on charcoal, one of the best home tooth whitening remedies out there.
It may seem strange, but once you try this recipe, you’ll be flashing a beautiful white smile.
- Just grind up a piece of charcoal, put it in a bowl, and moisten your toothbrush.
- Dip your toothbrush into the bowl and brush your teeth as normal.
- Brush stained areas well.
- Rinse well with warm water and repeat every day or a few times a week.
If using regular charcoal feels strange to you, you can also buy activated charcoal at your local pharmacy. Just break apart the tablets and use the powder on your toothbrush.
Read: Natural Products that will Whiten Your Teeth
7. Draw with your family
If your kids have cabin fever, you can have them draw with charcoal on cardboard or paper. Their artistic side will come out and they’ll have a great time.
That said, be careful they don’t “leave their mark” on the walls or furniture because it will be hard to get off!
If it’s summer vacation and you don’t want your little ones to spend it on the computer, you can use charcoal to draw on the sidewalk just like you used to do as a kid–think hopscotch.
Other remarkable uses for charcoal include:
- Antidote for poisonous substances
- Relief for abdominal bloating or flatulence
- Digestive detox
- Ointment for bites and stings
Check them out!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Arboleda Valencia J, Soto R, Arnul RT. Teoría y práctica de la purificación del agua. 3rd ed. Santa Fe de Bogotá: McGraw-Hill Interamericana; 2000.
- Medline Plus. Carbón activado. 2018; disponible en: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/druginfo/natural/269.html. Accesso el 10/24, 2018.
- Ramos LR, Fentanes EP, Montiel RN, Dib Kanán A, Esquivel BEE. Tipos y técnicas de blanqueamiento dental. Oral 2007;8(25):392-395.
