Use Salt to Clean Your Home

Salt is one of the elements that has never been missing from the kitchen since the olden times. Although centuries ago it was considered a precious good, today you can buy salt at very affordable prices. 

There are many side effects from the indiscriminate use of sodium chloride in your diet as it has consequences like hypertension, kidney problems, and fluid retention. However, it can be a huge help when cleaning your home. So if your doctor prohibits you from consuming salt,  take advantage of using it for cleaning.

Using Salt in the Home

• Keep flowers fresher for longer by adding a pinch of salt to the water in the vase.
• Control weeds in your yard by scattering salt in the pavement cracks or edges where they tend to grow.
• Put out oil fires by throwing salt on top of the flames.
• Remove ice from roads and sidewalks by sprinkling it on top of the snow or frost, which will prevent ice from sticking to the ground.
• Keep ants away by sprinkling it in your house’s entrance, around the windows, and underneath doors.
• Dry clothing in winter by putting a handful of salt in the last rinse cycle to prevent clothing from freezing on the line outside.

• Protect wicker furniture and prevent them from turning yellow by applying salt with a wet brush and letting it dry out in the sun.
• Lengthen the life of bathroom or kitchen sponges. After you use them, soak them in salt water.
• Prevent frost from forming on your house and car’s windows by scrubbing them with a sponge soaked in water and salt.
• Deodorize your shoes by spraying a little salt on the inside. It will eliminate moisture and bad odor.

Use Salt to Clean Your Home

• Remove the mess that comes from burns or spills from pans, pans, pots, oven, and burners. Apply a good amount of salt and remove it with paper towels.
• Remove wine stains from fabric. Apply a generous amount around the area and dry it with upward movements. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse off the piece of clothing. If it’s on a rug, scrub it with salt and then vacuum it.
• Deodorize and clean the refrigerator. Apply salt and seltzer water to the door and inside for a few minutes before defrosting or cleaning it.
• Remove rust stains from fabric by mixing a little bit of salt with lemon juice, wetting it well. Then, let it dry in the sun. Afterwards, wash as usual.
• Erase white circles on wooden furniture that come from a vase or anything wet. Apply a layer of oil and salt to the stain, massage it in, let sit for an hour, and then remove it.
• Remove grease from iron kitchen utensils. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top of them and let it sit. Remove any extra and wash it as always. You can use the same technique to remove dark marks of coffee and tea on cups.
• Reduce bad odor on plastic or glass jars and bottles (more so on plastic because this is where odor is more easily concentrated). Add a tablespoon of salt on the inside of the container and leave it for a few minutes. Rinse it normally with detergent or a cleaning product.
• Remove bathtub and sink stains by making a mixture of turpentine and salt. Apply it to the surfaces and let sit for 15 minutes. As a result, that ugly yellow color will go away. Then, wipe it with a wet sponge to remove anything extra and so it comes out perfect.

• Clean the floors of your entire house. Add a half cup of salt to a mop bucket filled with warm water. Mop like usual. If you have wood floors, it will be brighter. If it’s tile, you will prevent it from getting dirty quickly.
• Make bronze, tin, silver, and copper pieces brighter. Make a mixture of equal parts vinegar, flour, and salt. Apply it to the objects and let sit for fifteen minutes. Remove gently with a brush and dry with a dry cloth. Shine them afterwards.
• Prevent grease and bad odor from collecting in the sink. Make a vinegar and salt paste and pour it down the drain.
• Prevent the iron from sticking to clothing by adding a little bit of salt to the starch. This will also make sheets and cotton clothing look like new.
• Clean yellow piano keys. Put salt and lemon juice on a soft cloth and scrub the keys to remove stains caused by moisture, the passing of time, or use. You can use the same treatment for marble or ivory pieces.
• Increase the lifetime of brooms. Before using them for the first time, submerge them in hot salt water.
• Brighten clothing colors when you wash them, like curtains or natural fiber rugs.
• Remove sweat marks from clothing. Put four tablespoons of salt in a liter of hot water. Rub the piece of clothing with a sponge until the mark disappears.
• Remove bloodstains. Soak the clothing in cold salt water and wash it in boiling soapy water. Only do this for cotton, linen, and natural fiber clothing.

Images courtesy of Casey Konstantine, Joanna Bourne, Charles Haynes, Aaron Stidwell.

Source: http://steptohealth.com/use-salt-clean-home/