Here’s just a few uses for salt:
Salt as a polish
By mixing salt and vinegar into a thick paste, it can be applied to brass silver and copper as a polish. Use a soft cloth to apply and buff, then rinse thoroughly in water and dry well.
Cleanups
A pet mess, oil and egg spills- just cover the area with salt – it’s a lot easier to pick up.
Salt drain cleaner
Equal quantities of salt and hot water poured down a drain can help get rid of nasty smells and dissolve grease, plus help slow future buildup.
Scouring pots and pans
Pour rock salt onto greasy cookware before scouring to help cut through the grease
Removing tea and coffee stains
To remove tea and coffee stains on cups and decanters, sprinkle salt onto a sponge and use a circular motion when rubbing over the stains.
Sterilizing sponges
Kitchen sponges are the perfect breeding ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria. By soaking a sponge in a heavily saline solution, it will help kill these bacterial.
Pest deterrent
Where ants frequent, pour a line of salt to prevent them from crossing.
Earth friendly weed killer
A mix of 1 part salt to 3 parts boiling water can be poured directly onto
Smelly cutting boards
A smelly cutting boardsimply means bacteria are present – and this is not only a whiffy problem, but a health issue. Bacteria are killed by salt, so by rubbing salt into your cutting board, let it sit for a little while and then rinse, your board will smell fresh and be bacteria-free!
Iron cleaner
Over time, irons pick up bits of junk that cause them to stick when you iron your clothes. To remove the gunk buildup, sprinkle salt onto a sheet of paper and then run the iron over it. Ensure you use a shot of steam to clean the jets after doing this and also wipe down the plate with a damp cloth once it cools.
Here’s a particularly interesting tip I came across a few times – by adding a pinch of salt to milk, it will keep for a lot longer without noticeably altering the taste!
This only just scratches the surface of the various uses for salt – there’s so many, you could go through many pounds of it a year. One thing to bear in mind though – while plentiful and cheap; too much salt winding up in our waterways or even in your yard can damage the environment; so as with all things, use it in moderation.
Do you have some uses for salt you’d like to share? Please feel free to comment.
