30 Ways to Use Salt Around the House

The first mention of salt was in the Bible story about Lot, whose wife disobeyed the warning of the angels about looking back at Sodom, and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. I'm sure you've also heard the term, "He's not worth his salt," and wondered where this phrase came from.

Well it was a term that got its start in ancient Greece, where they traded salt for slaves, and apparently the Roman soldiers were paid with "salt money," which is where the word salary originated from.

Today's salt contains sodium silicoaluminate, dextrose and potassium iodide, but it still stops the growth of mold, mildew, bacteria and yeast. This is why it is used as a natural preserver in salad dressings, butter, margarine, cured meats, sausages, and pickled products.

Now I'm going to add 30 more ways in which you can use salt around the house for cleaning, beauty treatments, pest control and more.

Clean Brass
You can clean any of your brass, copper and silver items by making a paste with vinegar and salt, rubbing the items with it, then rinsing and wiping them dry.

Clean Stains From China
Remove coffee and tea stains from your china cups by making a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and salt. Let the mixture sit in the cups for a few hours before removing.

Clean Silk Flowers
Pour 2 cups of salt into a paper bag large enough to hold your silk flowers. Put the flowers in the bag and shake. The salt cleans your flowers by removing all the dust.

Clean Away Rust
Rub a mixture of 2 tablespoons of salt with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice onto the rust, then wipe clean.

Clean Away Mildew And Mold
Make a mixture of salt and lemon juice, then apply it to the mold and mildew. If possible, put the item in the sun to dry. Also, if the item can be cleaned outside, it would eliminate mold and mildew spores from circulating in your house and growing onto something else.

Clean Grease
If you spill cooking grease, just sprinkle salt over it, wait for 20 minutes, then wipe up. This helps absorb the grease.

Remove Soap Suds
If you're trying to get soap suds out of your sink, just sprinkle salt on them. This causes the bubbles to burst.

Use For Slugs
Sprinkle salt along the perimeter of any area to keep slugs away. The salt kills them by drawing the moisture from their bodies.

Keep Fleas Away
Fleas don't like salt, so why not wash out your dog house with saltwater.

Repel Ants And Moths
Sprinkle salt along or over any area where they live or travel.

Prevent Fading
To stop colors from fading from your clothes, pour 1 cup of coarse salt into your wash.

Soften Jeans
If you want to soften up new jeans, pour 1 cup of coarse salt into your wash.

Remove Wine Stains
Cover the area with salt, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then rinse the item in cool water. If all the stain didn't leave, repeat the process.

Remove Odors
If you have an odor in your drainpipes or garbage disposal, then run a very hot mixture of saltwater through them.

Clean And Deodorize Cutting Boards
Sprinkle salt on the cutting board and rub with a damp cloth, then rinse.

Clean Greens
Wash and rinse your greens in saltwater. This removes dirt, and any worms living in them.

Making Coffee
When you make your coffee, try adding just a dash of salt. This makes your coffee taste better.

Soak Fish
If you need to scale fish, try soaking them in salt water for a few minutes, this makes them easier to scale.

Fluffier Egg Whites
Add a pinch of salt and this makes the egg whites fluffier when you beat them.

Foot Soak
Add ½ cup of salt to warm water, to soak your feet.

Mouth Pain
A mixture of warm saltwater will relieve the pain of toothaches, sore gums and tongue bites. Drink a mouth full of the saltwater, hold in your mouth for a minute, then spit out. Repeat this as necessary or see a doctor.

Bad Breath
Use a mixture of water, salt and baking soda as a mouthwash. Mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, into a glass of water.

Sore Throat
Mix 1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water, then gargle.

Tone Your Face
Mix 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and massage it onto your face, then wash and pat dry.

Dry Itchy Skin
Add 1 cup of either sea salt or table salt into a warm bath, then soak for about 30 minutes.

Get Rid Of Dandruff
Sprinkle and massage 1 tablespoon of salt into your dry hair, then shampoo.

Kills Poison Ivy
Pour a mixture of 1 cup of salt and 1 gallon of hot water directly onto the bright green poison ivy leaves, if the leaves are not bright green, then the solution may not work.

Remove Grass
Sprinkle salt into any crevice you don't want grass to grow. Since salt is corrosive, this kills the plant.

Weed Killer
The same idea as removing grass. Pour salt into the cracks and crevices where weeds are growing..

Stop Freezing Pipes
If you sprinkle salt down all your water drains during extreme cold weather, this prevents them from freezing.

If you're wondering why salt makes such a good natural preserver, it's because bacteria like E. Coli and Salmonella find it hard to grow where salt is. Salt removes all traces of water from cells and food, which makes it very difficult for bacteria to grow.