16 Surprising Uses for Table Salt
Salt has been with us ever since we humans
arrived in this life. We've used it mainly for seasoning our food -
perhaps sometimes we are even guilty of overusing it because we like it
so much. Yet, salt has many other uses outside of cooking. Consider the
following 16 examples of how you can use simple table salt around your
house. We guarantee there will be plenty here that you've never been
told before.
1. Keep Mold from Curtain Showers
Right after you've bought your nice new shower curtains, wash them in
salt water. This way, you can be almost completely assured that no mold
will grow on them.
2. Provide Relief for Mosquito Bites
Mosquito bites are among the most annoying
things you can experience. To mitigate the redness and itchiness, dip
your finger in some water and use the moisture to stick a little salt to
your finger. Now rub the mixture over your bite.
3. Let Copper Items Shine Like New
To keep your copper kettles and the like
sparkling, mix some salt with vinegar and flour (and some optional lemon
juice) and rub the surface of the item.
4. Keep Oil from Spitting Out
Once you've heated up your cooking oil, add
a little salt. By doing so, you will limit the amount of splashing and
splattering, once you've added your fish or meat to the pan.
5. Make Candles Non-Drip
Did you know that you can actually prevent
candle wax from dripping? Salt can really help you do so. Simply soak
your candle in a concentrated salt solution overnight. Then, once the
candle has thoroughly dried out, light it. Easy.
6. Banish Shoe Odors
Get rid of those embarrassing shoe smells
by either adding some cloth bags full of salt into them or simply
sprinkle some salt straight inside the shoes. Once you've let the salt
soak up the moisture in the shoe, give them a firm shake and vacuum them
away.
7. Keep Ants Away
To keep ants from infesting your house and
garden, make a 1:4 ratio salt solution and pour it into a spray bottle.
Spray where you like to prevent them from ever wanting to come back
again.
8. Make Homemade Kids' Paints
Make Homemade Kids' Paints
salt, tips, uses
It's really not that hard or bothersome to make home made paints for
your children and grandkids. All you need to do is mix 1 cup of flour
with 1 cup of salt in a bowl. Then combine with a cup of water and a few
drops of whichever food coloring you're using.
9. Keep Sliced Fruit and Veg from Browning
To keep any chopped fruit or veg from turning brown, simply place them in a bowl or pan filled with salt water.
10. Rid Your Hands of Onion Smell
It may seem that you can never get the
strong smell of garlic and onions from your hands, after chopping and
handling them, but it's actually no trouble at all, if only you know
what to do. First, you need to wet your hands with water, then give them
a thorough rubbing over with table salt. Now rinse. Done.
11. Produce a Natural Home-Made Air Freshener
Whether you use some orange peel or a
normal bowl, to make air freshener all you need is 1/2 to 1 cup of salt
mixed with 20 or 30 drops of your chosen essential oil (or use rose
petals). Now you can have a naturally wonderful smelling room.
12. Put Kitchen Fires Out Properly
If you are cooking a particularly greasy
meal, you really want to keep a large container of salt nearby. Grease
fires can easily get out of control, but, luckily, all you need to do is
pour salt onto the flames to starve them of oxygen and put them out
instantly.
13. Clean Your Iron
Irons can get a little grubby at times, but
how are you meant to clean them? One sure fire way is to turn yours on
to its highest setting and run it over a piece of brown paper covered in
salt.
14. Stop Windows Frosting Up
If your windows are prone to frosting over
during the night, here's a tip you could really use. Dip a sponge in
salt water and rub the inside of your windows with it. The salt prevents
any frost from forming. Alternatively, you can deter frost by keeping a
little cloth bag of salt on your windowsill.
15. Maintain a Clean Sink
Make a paste with lemon juice and salt and
use it to wipe your sink with. Chemical cleaners can cost a lot of
money, and they don't do nearly as good a job of cleaning stainless
steel sinks as this hot tip does.
16. Make Sure Your Restaurant Meal Is Really Changed
If you've asked the waiter to return your
dish because there is a hair in it, make sure they really replace your
meal by spoiling it with salt. Simply sprinkle it with enough salt to
destroy the flavors, and then you'll know when it comes back whether
it's fresh or not.