please don't do this. it's bad enough tracking water and mud and salt and muck into the house during the snow season, but to add SOOT & ASH?????? seriously...bad idea.

Yeah - that would be wonderful to track indoors. I'm sure homes and businesses everywhere would applaud you. I agree, absolutely awful idea.

Though I agree with the above posters about the mess, I like the idea of a salt alternative. Too many people in the city here use it and it's so bad for the water systems, as well as being corrosive.

Yeah, I'll fifth that. No way I'm throwing my ashes out by the front door only to bring them back in all over the soles of my shoes. I guess it would work well if you had a huge mudroom though, or took off your shoes at the door?

We used to do it on our long driveway, on the most slippery parts--for the car, not for walking on.

Oh, my gosh.. I have been meaning to talk to a neighbor of mine to have him STOP DOING THIS.
Ash is not welcome in my home! Old wood floors are sensitive and hard to clean!!
There must be a better way.

I can't believe that everyone is worried about ash on their floors when really you should just take your shoes off at the door? I had guests over the other day and they all walked in with soaking wet feet. I found it really rude - salt, dirt and snow ruins hardwood floors. What's the big deal, just take off the shoes. Less corrosive chemicals used to clean your house as well, and you can spend the time saved cleaning relaxing in front of that nice fire!

You can't always take shoes off at the door -- I work in a public library with slippery sidewalks, and this concept would destroy the carpeting if neighbors used it -- it's against health laws to be shoeless in public buildings.

I like pet friendly snow melt pellets. Some are theoretically harmless to the environment (might be calcium chloride rather than sodium chloride, but I might be remembering that wrong...) and they definitely are functional.

While both my husband and I remove our shoes at the front door (boot tray), our dog does not. Even with towel drying his feet, there's bound to be some ice/dirt/ash (gasp) still attached. No thank you.

We've done this, but only on the driveway. It makes a terrible mess otherwise, but so does salt and sand.

my dog doesnt have shoes, i cant take off his feet. don't do this.

I think this is the worst advice I've read on AT.

Also, knitfreak,

I find it rude when people expect you take your shoes off in their home, unless there are extreme circumstances, like you just came in out of the rain. Otherwise, get a good doormat, or don't have people over.

I agree with the other posters above: you don't have to worry about tracking any crud from the street into your nice clean house if you take your shoes off at the front door (or switch your outdoor shoes for indoor shoes). Common sense, people!

whether it's salt, urea, or ashes, you just can't go walking right into your home without changing your shoes in a snowy climate (and wiping the dogs feet). At least in my snowy neck of the woods it is expected that if you're visting someone's home in snowy weather to be expected to take off your shoes.

Having lived in about as rural north an area you can find in this country, I took from it the habit of bringing slippers or thick socks anytime I visited others' homes, as jlw0001 describes. (I've also spent a fair amount of time in Japan.)

Doormats just don't do it, mod_Eric. You'd be amazed at how much cleaner your house is if others are willing to admit that there is a transition from out to in and that it's worthwhile to take a little time and effort to acknowledge that transition. Through leaving the mud and dirt and sand at the front door.

I agree - while I always take my shoes off at the door, I still stick by my choice this afternoon to chuck the ashes in the compost bin.

I live next to a lake, and minimize use of rock salt. The fireplace ashes do a great job on the driveway. I don't use them on the walkway or deck.

I agree with most of the comments. Throwing away ashes in front of the house is not a great idea. Fire place ashes should be disposed correctly. I bought an ash vacuum and it saved me a lot of time cleaning the ashes up. Just wanted to let all the people in the north know about the vacuum! And please dispose the ashes correctly.