10 brilliant uses for charcoal

Double the life of fresh flowers

The blooms you picked from your garden will add a sunny touch to your kitchen. To help them thrive, drop a piece of charcoal into an opaque vase, fill with water and place the flowers inside. The absorbent charcoal will act as a water filter, trapping contaminants like chlorine that can cause wilting.

Rust-proof outdoor tools

You snagged a great deal on a new pair of shears and a spade to replace your worn-out ones. To keep the tools rust-free and ensure they last for years, place three lumps of charcoal in the leg of an old pair of panty hose and tie it closed, then place the sachet wherever you store your tools. The charcoal will absorb rust-causing moisture.

Eliminate static from a radio

You brought a radio along on your family camping trip, but the appliance isn’t picking up a signal and all you hear is static. The fix: Place a piece of charcoal on top of it. The briquette will attract electromagnetic radio waves in the air and transfer them to the stereo, ensuring static-free audio.

Keep little ones entertained

Moments before your lastminute barbecue, you realize you don’t have any activities for your littlest guests. The ina-pinch alternative for chalk? Charcoal. As the kids press it into the sidewalk, the nontoxic briquettes will leave behind carbon particles to create clean lines. When they’re done, just hose off the sidewalk and make sure they wash their hands.

Soak up litter box odor

If Fluffy’s litter box always seems to smell, no matter how often you scoop it out, place a few charcoal briquettes in an orphan sock and use a piece of string to tie it shut, then bury in the litter box. The charcoal will absorb the unpleasant odor.

Hide imperfections in dark wood

One of your wooden patio chairs has a noticeable scratch—and guests are on the way. To hide it, rub a piece of charcoal over the spot. The carbon particles left behind will camouflage the mark until you can repair it.

Protect plants from pests

To deter the slugs that have taken a liking to your garden and are destroying your favorite plants, reach for charcoal. Simply sprinkle a circle of cooled charcoal ash around the base of the plants the pests frequently eat. Slugs dislike the gritty texture of the ash, so they’ll avoid your garden and find somewhere else to snack. Problem solved!

Ward off bathroom mildew

The low-cost way to prevent summer heat and humidity from causing mold to grow in your bathroom? Place a few charcoal briquettes in a small bowl and hide it behind the toilet. The absorbent charcoal will trap moisture and bacteria lurking in the air before it can transform into mildew.

Easily clean a dry-erase board

If it’s getting more difficult to erase the whiteboard that serves as your family’s daily calendar, try this to restore the surface: Dip a soft white cloth into cooled charcoal ash and use it to rub the board’s surface. Follow with a damp cloth to remove any excess, then dry off with a paper towel. The slightly abrasive charcoal will gently remove the leftover markings, so you can stay on top of your crowd’s comings and goings.

Ensure a garden stays hydrated

Before you head out of town for your summer getaway, break several charcoal briquettes into 1" pieces and sprinkle them on your flower beds and beneath bushes. The porous briquettes will absorb and retain water and slowly release it into the ground so your soil stays moist until you return.