50 Uses For Salt

By Kenda - June, 19th 2014

Salt makes our meals burst with flavor, and it’s also a natural preservative that stops the growth of mold and bacteria. But, according to the Institute of Salt, it actually has around 14,000 uses!

Salt is not only nontoxic, so you don’t need to worry about poisons or chemicals, but it it also the most easily available (nonmetalic) mineral in the world. It’s low cost and nonharmful – what a perfect way to handle many different tasks around the house. For thousands of years people have relied on salt for everything from preserving food to cleaning – and you can too.

Here are 50 uses for salt around the house.

1. Clean your iron – Sprinkle salt on a piece of paper then go over it with the hot iron.
2. Remove sweat stains – Add 4 tablespoons of salt to 1 quart of hot water and blot the garment with the mixture until the stain fades.
3. Drying clothes outside in the winter – Put salt in your final rinse to keep your clothes from freezing on the line.
4. Control washing machine suds – Did you accidentally put too much soap in your laundry? Sprinkle some salt over the suds to reduce them before the last rinse.
5. Soak up wine spills – Pour a pile of salt on wine spilled on carpet, tablecloth or other material. It will soak up the wine, pulling it away from the material.
6. Clean your coffee pot carafe – Place salt and ice cubs in the glass pitcher of your coffee maker then swirl around to scour off coffee stains.
7. Clean artificial flowers and plants – Place the artificial plants in a paper bag with a generous amount of salt. Then shake gently to remove dust and debris.
8. Bee Stings – As soon as possible, we the sting and then cover with salt to soothe the pain.
9. Oven Spills – If a dish bubbles over or is spilled in the oven, pour salt over it to stop the smoke and make cleanup easier.
10. Fresh Fruit – keep your cut fruit from browning by dipping it in salt water.
11. Clean wicker furniture & decor – Scrub with hot salt water to remove yellowing and stains.
12. Kill Poison Ivy – Mix 3 pounds of salt with 1 gallon of soapy water. Spray it directly onto the ivy stems and leaves.
13. Repel Fleas – Scrub your dog’s house with salt water.
14. Kill grass growing through walkway cracks – Pour salt over the grass, let it stand for 1 day, then pour hot water over it.
15. Keep frost off of your car window – Wipe your windows with a soft cloth dipped in salt water.
16. Stained coffee cups – Rub the stains with dampened salt.
17. Clean your cutting board – Rub your cutting boards with salt to remove stains and odors.
18. Keep Icing from ‘sugaring’ – Adding a small amount of salt to your cake icing keeps crystals from forming.
19. Prevent Mold on Cheese – Wrap cheese with a cheesecloth moistened with salt water.
20. Remove odor from hands – Did you just chop garlic or cut fish? Rub wet hands with a handful of salt to chase away the scent.
21. Ease mouth and throat pain – If you have a sore throat, canker sore, etc – Swish warm salt water around in your mouth or gargle (spit it out after!)
22. Mosquito and Yellow Fly bites – Make a paste of salt and olive oil. Cover the bite and let it sit for a few minutes to ease the itch.
23. Drip-less candles – Soak new candles in heavily salted water and let dry. They won’t drip as much.
24. Fresh cut flowers – Put a pinch of salt in the vase water to make cut flowers last longer.
25. Control the BBQ grill – Juices during grilling can cause fire flame-ups. Tossing a little bit of salt over the flames will calm them down and reduce smoke.
26. Water rings on furniture – Mix salt and olive oil and *gently rub on wooden surface water rings.
27. Clean rust – Rub the rusty area with a mixture of salt and lemon juice. Let it sit until dry, then gently rub off with a soft cloth.
28. Make brooms last longer – Soak a new broom in hot salt water and then let it dry.
29. Put out a fire in the fireplace – If you’re ready for bed, but the fireplace is still going strong – pour salt over the flames to put out the fire and stop all the excess smoke.
30. Grease on carpet and rugs – Rub the carpet with 1 part salt and 4 parts rubbing alcohol.
31. Refresh sponges – If your sponge is getting dingy and slimy, soak it overnight in a mixture of 1/4 cup salt and 1 quart of water. This works on mops too!
32. Stinky sneakers – If your sneakers and canvas shoes are getting a little peee-yew! Try sprinkling salt in the bottoms before wearing.
33. Scrub a fish tank – When it’s time to drain the tank, use moist salt to scrub the algae and mineral deposits from the glass. Make sure to rinse well before refilling the tank.
34. Clean your garbage disposal – dump 1/2 cup of salt into your garbage disposal, turn on cool water and run as usual.
35. Easier removal of baked on food – If you have a baking pan with stuck on, baked food – try covering the spots with salt, dampen with water and let sit before scrubbing.
36. Clean dough off of counter tops – Instead of dealing with gooey spots of dough that smear, sprinkle with salt first. Now wiping will be easier and the salt lifts the dough off the surface with less effort.
37. Test egg freshness – Add 2 teaspoons of salt to 1 cup of water. Place the egg in the water. If it floats – it’s bad. If it sinks – it’s good to eat.
38. Keep salad crisp – Lightly salt a fresh cut salad to keep it crisp longer.
39. Make milk last longer – Add a pinch of salt to a new gallon of milk to keep it fresh longer.
40. Stop a restaurant stain – If you’re out to eat and drop something greasy on your clothes, sprinkle the spot with salt. It will help pull the grease away from the fabric until you can get home and put the garment in the wash.
41. Set color in new towels – Add 1 cup of salt to the water the first 2 or 3 times you wash new towels.
42. “Dry” clean flower pots – Instead of making a muddy mess, try sprinkling dry salt into a previously used flower pot. Scrub with a brush and the salt will remove the dirt for you.
43. Dandruff removal – use a salt and water paste to scrub your scalp before shampooing as usual.
44. Inexpensive bath soak – You don’t need scented bath salts to enjoy the benefits in your bath. Dissolving 1 cup of table salt will give your skin the same, soft feel.
45. Hair clogs in drains – Mix 1 cup salt, 1 cup baking soda, and 1/2 cup white vinegar and pour down the drain. After 25 minutes pour in a large pan of boiling water to clear the drain.
46. Scrub your tub – If you have a hard to clean fiberglass tub, scrub the stained spots with a salt and water paste to loosen stains.
47. Piano keys – use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to remove yellowing from piano keys.
48. Prevent fading in the wash – Add 1/4 cup salt to each laundry wash to prevent fading over time.
49. Improve brewed coffee – If your coffee is bitter or was left in the pot too long, add a small pinch of salt to boost the flavor.
50. Remove mildew – Scrub the spots with a mix of salt and lemon juice.

 

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