7 Uses for Salt You’ve Never Used
Salt is a vital mineral our bodies need to survive. The majority of people eats or drinks it daily. Table salt, likewise referred to as sodium chloride, has many more uses you may not know about. Take a look at the following ways to make salt an important mineral in your home in surprisingly convenient ways.
6. Unclog Drains
While you are utilizing salt to clean away mineral deposits, you can utilize it to unblock virtually any clogged drains.
First, remove just as much of the standing water out of the sink basin as you can. Pour about a half of a cup of fine-grain table salt down the drain, and then boiling water.
Allow the salt and boiling water work on the clog for a couple of minutes. Wash the drain with the faucet. For hard clogs, you might need to repeat the process a number of times till the drain is cleared.
5. Wash Dishes
Salt makes a fantastic scouring agent for cleaning dishes, pans and pots . For lighter cleaning, start using fine-grain table salt with a sponge and dish soap or washcloth.
Be cautious with any dishware that may be easily scratched. It is better to test a small area on the bottom part of the dish first.
For pans and pots with burned foods, pour some of the salt and dish soap to the surface and then allow it to soak for up to several hours. Then scrub away the salt and rinse. Just like dishware, try not to scratch the surface area of non-stick pots and pans.
3. Remove Bacteria from Sponges
Kitchen and bathroom sponges may become a hotbed of bacteria after many uses. Rather than throwing them away when they begin to smell, use some table salt to clean them up once again.
Place the sponges in a medium size bowl of cold water with three tablespoons of salt. Allow them to soak overnight. By morning the salt water will have killed off almost all of the bacteria. Clean the sponges with dish soap and hot water. Repeat the salt water soak if needed.
7. Eliminate Mineral Deposits
If the water in your home possesses a a high concentration of minerals (referred to as hard water), you will sometimes have calcium deposits create in the drains.
Calcium deposits can clog and erode pipes in the long run. Fear not, salt can help! Blend fine-grain table salt with lemon juice and vinegar to create a paste.
Smear the paste on the calcium deposits and then give it time to remain for 10-15 minutes. Make use of an old toothbrush to scrub away the mineral deposits and rinse. Repeat the process, if required.
4. Clean Grease Stains
If you have previously tried to remove a grease stain from clothes, you know how difficult that could be without using harsh chemical substances. Table salt is shockingly very effective at absorbing grease from fabric, if you give it enough time to do the job. It can take a whole day to be completely effective, but the results are well worth the wait.
Cover the grease stain with a generous quantity of table salt and allow it to remain for a minimum of 24 hours. Then carefully scrub the stain with laundry soap and wash the clothing as directed on the label.
2. Remove Tarnish from a clothing Iron
If your clothes iron is looking dirty or tarnished, it is so easy to remove all those stains by using salt. Since tarnish from a steaming hot iron can sometimes transfer to fabric, you will wish to take this quick cleaning step before ironing much more of your whites.
Spread an old towel or greaseproof papers onto an ironing board. Sprinkle a good layer of salt across the surface area. Then iron a towel or paper on medium to high heat. Keep ironing until the bits of dirt and tarnish are eliminated.
1. Extinguish Grease Fires
Having extra salt in the home can come in handy in case of a grease fire. Remember you’d need a great deal of it if the fire is a sizable one in a large pan. Very carefully douse the fire with salt, which works by smothering it. Keep on adding more salt until the fire is snuffed out.
If you run out of salt before the fire is extinguished, you can use baking soda to smother the grease fire, also. Be sure you don’t accidentally grab the baking powder rather, as baking powder can cause flames to explode.
More than a Seasoning As you can see, salt is far more than a flavor-boosting mineral. Having lots of table salt available at home can assist you and your family save money on cleaning supplies and also stay away from exposure to more environmental harmful toxins from harsh cleaning chemicals.
Salt offers additional safety from kitchen fires and might even assist in preventing a costly plumber visit or two. Don’t forget to use fine-grain salt for most cleaning and scouring purposes, to avoid scratching surfaces or snagging fabrics.
