Happy National Diatomaceous Earth Day!
This is the weirdest holiday I’ve heard off, and as you know, Footle and Grok is all about weird holidays. This one is registered, and since it’s about a rock, I had to know more.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a sedimentary rock made of single-celled algae called diatoms. Live diatoms create over 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, so they are essential. When they die, they fall to the bottom of the ocean. There are so many diatoms that, over time, they stack up and compress. The organic material weathers away and all that is left is the hard silica parts. This becomes a soft rock called Diatomaceous Earth that is mined around the world.
Here is a very incomplete list of what this highly durable and slightly abrasive rock is used for. It has hundreds of industrial and individual applications.
- Filtrates beer, wine, swimming pool water, chemicals, and other items.
- Makes flat paint flat
- Absorbs oil spills
- Gets rid of fleas, bed bugs, and lice
- Used in deodorant, toothpaste, and face masks
- Removes stains
- Controls garden pests
Now that I know how useful DE is, I agree that it deserves its own holiday. Spread the word and try some out today.