potato peelings to clean chimney???

jexygirl · 12 December 2010 at 9:24PM

Hi all,
I know i know, long time no post:D

One of the girls told me tonight that I can put my potato peelings on the fire and it will clean the chimney, apparently her mother used to do it (like 40 years ago...)
has anyone else heard of this or is it an old wives tale lol?

I don't compost them as i was told not to, so would love to find a use for them as we have MASSES daily!

Thanks!
Jex

P.S. I promise i did 2 seperate searches, however Im sure the amazing BGs will find my answer in an experienced search! All I found was 2 links about making crisps with them!

ariba10 · 12 December 2010 at 9:30PM

I can see no reason at all for it to work.

Why on earth can't you compost them?

MrsBartolozzi · 12 December 2010 at 9:50PM

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
This page suggests that you can use them:

Everyone with an airtight stove should have their own chimney cleaning brush and rod, and then plan on inducing a controlled chimney flue fire once a month. The use of dried potato peels or newspaper -- but absolutely no wood!

But, most other sites I've googled say it's an old wives' tale supposedly the potato reduces build up of creosote, but that this doesn't work.
[/FONT]

meritaten · 12 December 2010 at 10:12PM

I cannot comment on using potato peelings to clean the chimney - but for the life of me cannot see how that would work!
I compost potato peelings all the time! thats when I am not making crisps out of them! if you clean the potatoes BEFORE peeling them, then the peelings can either be deep fried, or sprayed with oil and baked in the oven. delish sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper or paprika or a little chilli powder! or my fave - finely grated parmegiano!

jexygirl · 13 December 2010 at 12:14AM

hey guys, thanks for replies!
I had no idea how or why it would work, which was why I asked! OH cleans all 3 chimneys with our brushes, but when she told me about it, I was just thinking its less for the rubbish bin!
As for why i don't compost them, I was told it wasn't good for the compost due to them growing some sort of fungus that can cause blight and that other thing i forget the name of lol! also just googled and many people do add them but found this quote "Be careful if you are organic gardening to watch what non-organic items you compost. For example potato peels have one of hte highest concentrations of chemicals and toxins in our food chain. Many people think nothing of adding them to their compost."
I dont know, I am relatively new to composting (only been doing it for a year since we got hens and realised one bin cost us £800 a year so hens eat alot of leftovers, and we compost all our peelings and veg matter etc) so dont quote me!
I just wondered about the peelings to help keep the soot out of the chimney - turns out alot of our regulars remember their parents burning all sorts of veg peelings for this reason - sounds more like an earlier form of recycling to me!
I would make crisps out of them, but we do industrial quantities of mash every day, as well as proper chips from proper potatos! so we have lots of "skin and chip" waste - thats why i wondered about burning some. I will also do more reading about composting as there are conflicting views! I just took what i was told when we started the heap!
Thanks again, more opinions welcome!
Jex

Fruball · 13 December 2010 at 12:51AM

Jex, why not make potato wedges instead of chips? (for eating, not burning lol)

jexygirl · 13 December 2010 at 1:05AM

Hey Frugal

if it was me i would! But we have to prep mash as well as having a chipper for chips (restaurant / inn with 3 open fires hence question!

) Thats why we have so many peelings and wasted skins / bits too small for chips after sorting chips! in case anyone wondered why we were a carb rich potato dependant household!

I use /reuse everything i possibly can (including the loo roll tube tip for starting fires!) But am always looking for more ways to use / uses for, our hopefully limited waste - my plastic bottle greenhouse is taking over the world!. Even contacted The Territorial army locally recently who can use my plastic 20L fryer oil drums for their training! Thanks to their ad for jerry cans on freecycle!
Jex

Fruball · 13 December 2010 at 1:50AM

jexygirl wrote: »

Hey Frugal
if it was me i would! But we have to prep mash as well as having a chipper for chips (restaurant / inn with 3 open fires hence question! ) Thats why we have so many peelings and wasted skins / bits too small for chips after sorting chips! in case anyone wondered why we were a carb rich potato dependant household!

I use /reuse everything i possibly can (including the loo roll tube tip for starting fires!) But am always looking for more ways to use / uses for, our hopefully limited waste - my plastic bottle greenhouse is taking over the world!. Even contacted The Territorial army locally recently who can use my plastic 20L fryer oil drums for their training! Thanks to their ad for jerry cans on freecycle!
Jex

:rotfl:I was wondering why you needed so many potatoes :rotfl:

Lexxi · 13 December 2010 at 3:23AM

Could you do skin on chips? Our chef used to serve them but we didn't have a chipper so was just quicker to leave skin on before cutting them up?

Penelope_Penguin · 13 December 2010 at 10:16AM

ariba10 wrote: »

Why on earth can't you compost them?

Some poeple advise not composting potatoes, as they can spread blight to the compost and back into the soil. That said, I always compost mine, and have not had problems

I'll move this to the in My Home Board to see if the experts there have any suggestions regading your innovative use of potato peelings.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

bryanb · 13 December 2010 at 11:46AM

Heard many of these Old wives tales when I was a fireman, none of them work, but it gives the firecrew a laugh.

potato peelings to clean chimney???

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