White chalk is one of the worlds most recognized rocks. Its striking white colouration stands out in such amazing land features in England, such as the Seven Sisters Cliff between Birling Gap and the River Cuckmere in East Sussex and also the White Cliffs of Dover.
Chalk is also recognized by most people through their school days such as the black board chalk and also the game of hopscotch.
But, did you know that chalk has been utilized by humankind for many centuries for both its chemical and physical properties? Scientists have long been fascinated by it because of the fossils it holds and the geological tale it has to tell.
Although chalk is usually associated with side walk art and classroom blackboards, the thing is, chalk can also be used in several other clever and practical ways around the house. The following is a broad list of 20 uses for chalk for cleaning and for other things around the house.
Uses for Chalk Cleaning
1 To Clean the Dirt Ring-Around a Shirt Collar:
Rub the dirt ring round the collar with white chalk. Make sure that you cover it completely. The chalk will soak up the oil that is keeping in the dirt. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash the shirt as usual.
2 To get Rid of Greasy Stains on Clothing:
Uses for chalk for clothing: you can also use chalk to get rid of greasy stains from other clothing as well. Just rub the chalk on the greasy spot making sure to cover it completely. Then leave it for 15 minutes. Wipe off any chalk dust before washing.
3 To Get Rid of Greasy Stains from Suede:
Just crush some chalk into powder and then sprinkle it on the greasy stain. Leave it overnight. You can then brush the chalk off when you get up in the morning. The dust form the chalk will suck up the grease that is on the suede.
4 To Clean Pewter:
Just make a paste with some vodka and some chalk that has been ground-up into powder. Then rub it on the pewter with a cloth, rinse it off with warm water, and polish.
5 To Prevent Silver from Losing its Lustre:
All you need to do is to put some chalk in a bowl and leave it where you keep your silver. The chalk will absorb the moisture in the air which in turn will stop your silver from dulling.
6 To Avoid Musty Closets:
Just put a bowl of chalk in your closet. The chalk will absorb any moisture in the air thus keeping your closet smelling fresh.
7 To Shine Marble and Metal:
Crush some chalk into a fine powder in a small bowl Dampen a soft cloth and then dip the cloth into the powdered chalk. Then wipe the dull marble or metal with it. Wash off with warm water then wipe until dry.
The chalk powder is just coarse enough to eradicate the cloudy deposit without harming the finish.
8 To Stop Jewellery from Tarnishing:
If you put a bit of chalk in the box that you keep your jewellery in, it will stop your silver and costume jewellery from discolouring.
The chalk will suck up the sulphur compounds inside the jewellery box before they can discolour the jewellery.
9 To Stop Odours and Mildew in the Laundry Basket:
Uses for chalk in the laundry: put a few pieces of chalk in a plastic bag then put the open plastic bag at the bottom of the laundry basket. As usual the chalk will take in any moisture from damp clothing, inhibiting the development of odour producing mildew. You can replace the chalk once every month.
10 A Rapid Brightener for Fingernails:
Uses for chalk for fingernails: rub a nail brush over white chalk then rub the brush under the tips of your fingernails, re-loading the brush with chalk as needed. The brush bristles dislodge and remove dirt from under nails while the white chalk leaves behind a fresh, clean manicured look.
Uses for Chalk Home Improvement
11 To Prevent Ants from Invading Your Home:
Uses for chalk: to stop ants from coming into your house just put some chalk lines around your windowsills, doorways and any other openings that the ants might come in from. The chalk line will stop them in their tracks.
It is not entirely clear why this works, but some say the ants don’t like the chalk particles sticking to their feet, while others say they loath the calcium carbonate in the chalk. Look at this video and see for yourself how chalk keeps ants away!
12 To Conceal Ceiling Marks:
You can briefly conceal scruff or water marks on your white ceiling for when you have time to make a long-lasting repair job. Just rub some white chalk onto the mark, do this until it either lightens or vanishes.
13 Quick Wall Repairs:
Uses for chalk: for a rapid fix of minor scrapes and nicks on your walls, just get some chalk that matches the paint colour of your wall and just rub it over the damaged area.
14 To Stop your Screwdrivers from Slipping:
Put some chalk on the end of a flathead screwdriver, this will stop the screwdriver from slipping off the screw when turning it.
15 To Stop Your Tools from Rusting:
A few pieces of chalk in your toolbox will stop your tools from rusting. The chalk will absorb any moisture that is near.
16 To Evenly Sand a Surface:
Just rub some chalk on the surface you are going to sand. Then sand the surface until all the chalk has gone. The end result will be a completely even surface!
17 To Rearrange Furniture:
If you are redecorating, chalk is a great way to mark out any new design on the floor. You can just stand back and see if it will work before you begin to start moving your things around. It’s a fantastic way to get an accurate idea of how to plan your room.
8 To Stop a Door Key from Sticking:
If you have a door key that is always sticking, just rub some chalk onto the teeth of the key. Then slide the door key in and out of the door lock a number of times. The dirt particles that are inside the door lock will get coated by the chalk and any moisture will be absorbed.
19 To Make a Metal file Easer to Clean:
By rubbing some chalk onto your metal file, will make the teeth a lot more easer to clean: by decreasing their inclination to clog up with soft metals.
20 To Make a Fire-Pit Barbecue Safety Area:
A lot of small children aren’t always aware that they mustn’t get to close to a fire-pit or a barbecue grill. Draw a thick chalk line a few feet away from the fire- pit or barbecue grill to make an allocated “safety area.”
Uses for Chalk, 12 Chalk Facts:
1 Chalk is made up mainly of the mineral calcite (Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate (Ca C O 3) and is made from the fossilized skeletons of microscopic marine plankton.
2 Chalk is a sedimentary rock which means that it is built up in layers, one layer on top of the other. These layers are then forced together and become cemented into stone.
3 Chalk is extremely porous which makes it a great natural storage vat for water.
4 Chalk is different from other lime stones because of its open structure, softness and moisture content.
5 Uses for chalk in gymnastics and athletics: before a gymnast mounts the bars, they usually take part in a practice which is known as “chalking up.” Apparently the powdered chalk they rub on the palms of their hands is intended to enhance their performance and protect their skin.
Other athletes like rock wall climbers, weight lifters and people that participate in throwing sports – frequently rub some chalk on their hands to guarantee a more stable grip. By decreasing hand slippage, the chalk allows athletes to retain their grip, which in turn leads to a possibly more productive and longer training sessions.
6 It is not just the street artist that has used chalk to draw pictures: our prehistoric ancestors used it as well. Archaeologists say that chalk helped to produce some of the first ever cave drawings.
7 Chalk is used to produce cement.
8 Chalk is also used to make slake lime and quicklime, mostly used as lime mortar in building constructions.
9 Chalk develops in marine environments in deep seas and warm water.
10 Chalk was mostly developed during the Cretaceous period, which was between 100 and 60 million years ago; chalks from this period can be found in many places around the world.
11 Chalk was not regularly used in schools, not until the nineteenth century. That was when school classes began to get bigger and teachers looked-for a more convenient way to convey information to their many students at the same time.
12 The reason that chalk is white is because it is made from the white skeletons of marine plankton (Plankton is the collective name for some specific organisms (mainly microscopic) that float about in lakes, rivers and the oceans.