Chalk Talk: 5 Great Uses of Chalks

Chalk, defined by the free dictionary as a soft, white, gray, or yellow limestone consisting mainly of calcium carbonate and formed primarily from the accumulation of fossil microorganisms such as foraminifera and calcareous algae. Chalk is used in making lime, cement, and fertilizers, and as a whitening pigment in ceramics, paints, and cosmetics. The chalk used in classrooms is usually artificial.

The latter part is what this hub is all about – the artificial chalk. The one that is famous in the classroom for writing and drawing on a blackboard that is not really black but green.

Did you know that chalks have other magical uses aside from solving the equations on the board? So, from the classroom to your household, here are my top five uses of chalk:

Stop using that harsh chemicals and spray. Here’s a nifty trick. Draw lines with chalk around your house to keep the ants away. Ants won’t cross a chalk line. Why? They don’t know how to hopscotch. Okay, that's a joke. Kidding aside, ants don’t like the calcium carbonate in the chalk. So, to keep ants out of your house, draw chalk lines around the doorways and windowsills of your house. If they are already in your house, find out where they are coming from and draw a chalk line therein.

Ring mark on the collar of your shirts is ugly and even though the shirt is freshly laundered, the mark makes it feel like it’s not completely clean. This ring mark is quite hard to remove even with pre-soaking. How does the chalk help? Rub the stained collar with chalk before washing. The chalk particles will help absorb the oil from the stain making it easier to get rid of the mark.

On an added note, the ring mark on your shirt isn’t really dirt. It’s not because you have dirty neck that leaves this ring mark around. It is a collection of melanin pigment from your shed skin cells, since the collar is the area that rubs off the most of your skin cells.

Chalks absorbs moisture and help prevents tarnishing. So, for your precious silverware, store it with a chalk wrapped in cheesecloth. You could also do the same with your lovely pieces of silver jewelry.

To prevent slipping while you screw, (doesn’t sound right) rub chalk over the handle of the screwdriver. It will create friction and will prevent slipping from your hands.

Not that kind of crack (whatever is in your head) but yes, it can cover those hairline cracks on your wall. Chalks are now available in color. So, match the right color until you are ready to paint your wall.

1. Toothpaste also contains small amounts of chalk that serves as a mild abrasive.

2. Chalk can also be taken orally in small doses as antacid.

3. Chalk mix with cinnamon and sugar in gum water was used to treat diarrhea esp. for infants.

4. Chalk is highly porous making it a natural storage tank for water.

5. If you subject chalk to heat and pressure it turns to marble.

Copyright@CrisSp~TM/08-2012. Domestic diva depending on the mood! ~