Salt is one of the oldest and most extensively used food seasonings. It’s not pricey, yet it comes with a slew of advantages you probably didn’t know about.
Take a look at some of the unexpected ways you may use this cooking staple.
Prevent mold on shower curtains
Wash your shower curtain with saltwater when you first buy it, and it will never grow mold.
Sources: huffingtonpost, homeguides
Relieve mosquito bites
To relieve the itching caused by mosquito bites, simply moisten the tip of your finger with water, dip it into salt, and then rub the mixture over the affected area.
Source: top10homeremedies
Make copper items shine again
Cleaning copper with salt works wonders. Just mix this seasoning with vinegar and flour, or add some lemon juice to it and rub the tarnished surface.
Source: thekitchn
Prevent oil from splattering
Sprinkle a little salt in the frying pan before adding meat or fish to fry. This will keep hot oil from splattering.
Source: simplehomemaking
Make your candles drip free
One way to make any molded candle dripless is to soak it in a concentrated salt solution for several hours. Let the candle dry before lighting it.
Source: oregonlive
Get rid of shoe odor
Eliminate bad odors from smelly shoes by putting cloth bags full of salt into them. Let these bags do their work, and your shoes will smell better in a couple of hours. You can also just sprinkle some salt inside your shoes, shake them, and vacuum up the salt.
Source: rd
Get rid of ants
To get rid of ants, combine salt and water in a 1:4 ratio in a bottle. Spray this solution where you see ants congregating, or just sprinkle some salt over those areas.
Source: healthyandnaturalworld
Prepare safe and cheap homemade paint for kids
Using simple ingredients, you can make your own homemade paint for your kids. In a bowl, blend 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of salt. Then add 1 cup of water and a few drops of food coloring.
Sources: tinkerlab, mommyknows, Nicko’s Kids DIY
Prevent sliced fruit and vegetables from turning brown
Keep fresh fruit and veggie slices from turning brown by putting them into a bowl filled with saltwater.
Sources: wikihow, epicurious
Remove onion smell from hands
The oils in garlic and onion leave a scent on your hands after cooking. However, the solution is quite simple: wet your hands, rub them all over with salt, then rinse.
Sources: wikihow, gluesticksgumdrops
Make your own all-natural air freshener
To make this you will need 1/2-1 cup of salt and 20-30 drops of any essential oil or rose petals. Simply arrange all of your ingredients in a bowl or jar, and get ready to enjoy your fresh-smelling home. You can also use the peel of half an orange as a natural bowl.
Source: buymeapie
Put out kitchen fires quickly
If the grease fire in your kitchen is getting out of control, pour salt on it. It will cut off the flow of oxygen and smother the flame. It’s always a good idea to keep a container of salt handy when cooking with grease.
Sources: HouseholdHacker, dummies
Clean the iron
To remove gunk spots, turn the iron to the highest temperature setting, sprinkle a little salt on a piece of brown paper, and run the hot iron over it.
Sources: Akkas World, popsugar
Keep windows free of frost
Rub the inside of windows with a sponge dipped in saltwater, and frost won’t collect. Another way to prevent the windows from frosting up in cold weather is to keep a small cloth bag of salt on your windowsill.
Sources: thesun, thriftyfun
Clean the sink
A paste made of lemon juice and salt can be used to clean stainless steel sinks and fixtures. In fact, it works even better than popular chemical cleaners.