Expired ASA (Aspirin) - Alt Uses?

So, I'm not going to ingest expired generic ASA -- that has potential dangers.

With other expired meds, they go back to the pharmacy to be (hopefully) disposed of in a safe manner. Never down the drain!

But expired and very dry ASA is just a blob of concentrated acid that could perhaps be used for something else? In the shop or garden?

Help me out, hive mind.

I wonder if it would enhance the root development of cuttings in the same way as willow water....

Crush and use as acidic scouring powder.

I think it is aspirin they put in the sachets for cut flowers to make them last longer - I think it somehow prevents rots setting in, so keeps the stems hydrated.

Carbon steel responds to acids.

I've heard about acid etching of those fancy hundred layer fold-forged Damascus blades to bring out the patterns and layers -- visually gorgeous.

On the less gorgeous side, maybe I could etch my initials into a shovel as a test?

Okay, this is pretty gross.

In the long, long ago I had a plantar wart on my foot. Nasty damn things. A doc gave me a salicylic acid paste to put on it, vaseline to contain it, and oversize bandaids to contain the whole mess.

Basically, the concept was to chemically burn-and-scrape until the root of the wart was gone.

I don't recall that it hurt; must have been a low concentration. And the damn thing got infected, so probably a less than excellent therapeutic approach. But it did kill the wart.

(This is not medical advice. I relate this as a caution. Don't go strapping ASA tablets onto things.)

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:On the less gorgeous side, maybe I could etch my initials into a shovel as a test?

Funny story: Scissors tend to be "relocated" in many households. When my dad was working, he wanted to experiment with a tool they'd bought to vibrate writing/numbers into metal.

I had him "print" my first name onto my then sewing scissors - not particularly fancy, black handled ones that were pretty common back in the day. One day Hubby was asking where the scissors were that had been sitting on the dining room table. He tried to tell me they were the ones from his desk. He was a little shocked to see that I *really* knew they were mine!

So the idea of you putting your name on your shovel, reminded me of my named scissors!

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:
In the long, long ago I had a plantar wart on my foot. Nasty damn things. A doc gave me a salicylic acid paste to put on it, vaseline to contain it, and oversize bandaids to contain the whole mess.

I've tried the acid wart thing and it didn't work, dandelion milk seemed to help though.