Salt is not only used for seasoning food, it’s also a versatile and non-toxic cleaning product for a variety of surfaces in and around your home. Additionally, salt is readily available and inexpensive, making it a great alternative to chemical cleaners. Common household items like lemon, oil, vinegar, baking soda and salt can be used as multi-purpose cleaning agents. Here are 10 different ways to use salt around the house.
1. Air fresheners: Salt can be used in place of toxic chemical air fresheners. You can create your own natural air fresheners by layering salt with flower petals, fresh herbs, or pine needles in a small bowl. For a citrus fragrance, fill a citrus fruit with salt.
2. Carpet cleaners: Mix 1 part salt with 4 parts rubbing alcohol to clean up grease stains on carpets.
3. Wood polish: Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with water to make a paste and use it to remove watermarks from wood. For homemade polish, combine ¼ cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of olive oil and apply it to furniture.
4. Brass and copper polish: Create a non-toxic polish for brass and copper by mixing equal amounts of salt, flour, and vinegar into a paste, applying it to the surface, and buffing with a soft cloth.
5. Clean scorched pots and pans: Boil a mixture of 1 cup of salt and 1-2 cups of water in a scorched skillet or pot, then let it cool and pour out the residue.
6. Coffeepot cleaner: Mix 4 teaspoons of salt, one tablespoon of water, and one cup of crushed ice to clean coffee or tea stains from glass pots.
7. Silver polish: Line the bottom of a sink with aluminum foil and add tarnished silver on top. Then pour a mixture of 4 cups of hot water, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 cup of baking soda over the silver to remove tarnish.
8. Prevent oil splatter: A few pinches of salt added to hot oil in a skillet can prevent oil from splattering while cooking.
9. Pre-soaking stains: Remove yellow underarm stains from clothes by dissolving 4 tablespoons of salt in 1 quart of hot water and sponging the garment with the solution.
10. Fabric softener: Soften new jeans by adding a half cup of salt to the wash, and soften regular clothes by adding ½ cup of baking soda or vinegar to the wash.
Additionally, salt can be used as a cleaner for iron, a weed killer, and a non-toxic spray for poison ivy. By using salt as a cleaning alternative, you can avoid exposing yourself to hazardous chemicals found in traditional cleaning products.
