27 surprising household uses for salt

There is something amazing sitting in your cupboards right now. Something that can clean your shoes, remove wine from carpets and make peeling boiled eggs a thousand times easier.

Not only is this stuff so useful, it’s also inexpensive. Very inexpensive.

What is it? Why, it’s salt, of course!

27 surprising household uses for salt

1. Cleaning tarnished silverware by rubbing the tarnish with salt before washing.
2. Remove stains from copper pans by adding salt and scouring with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
3. To prevent browning of apples, pears and potatoes, add them (peeled) to cold, lightly salted water.
4. Want crispy french fries? Soak potatoes in salt water for at least 1 hour before preparing them for frying (or baking).
5. Clean a greasy iron pan but adding a bit of salt to it, and then wiping with a paper towel.
6. Clean stained coffee cups by rubbing with salt and a bit of water before washing.
7. Toss salt (never water!) on a grease fire and it will smother the flames.
8. Remove lipstick marks from drinking glasses by rubbing the edges with salt.
9. Clean sink drains by pouring a strong salt brine down the drain regularly. This will help to eliminate odors and keep grease from building up.
10. Eggs boiled in salted water peel much more easily than without salt.
11. Place an egg in a cup of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. A fresh egg will sinks and a bad egg will float.
12. Clean cutting boards by washing with soap and water and then rubbing them with salt.
13. Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight, then boil salt water in the morning to remove burned-on stains.
14. Want shinier brass? Mix equal parts salt, flour and vinegar to make a paste. Rub paste on your brass items, leave for an hour, then clean with a soft cloth. Finally, buff with a dry cloth.
15. To clean and prevent yellowing on your wicker furniture, scrub with a stiff brush, moistened with warm saltwater. Air dry (in the sun is best).
16. Reduce eye puffiness by mixing one teaspoon of salt in a pint of very warm (but not boiling) water, and applying pads soaked in the solution to eyes.
17. Soak aching feet in warm water and a 1/4-1/2 cup of salt until the water is cool. Rinse feet thoroughly.
18. Extend the life of your broom by first soaking in hot saltwater before it is first used.
19. Remove wine stains from a tablecloth or carpet by blotting up as much as possible and then immediately covering the wine with salt. The salt will then absorb the rest of the wine. Rinse in cold water (if the stain is on a tablecloth) or vacuum up the salt (if the stain is on carpet).
20. White rings left on tables from wet or hot dishes can be removed by rubbing a paste of olive oil and salt on the spot with your fingers, letting it sit for one house, then wiping it off.
21. Want to make your linens or cotton clothing whiter? Boil the items for one hour in a salt and baking soda solution. Rinse in cold water and wash as normal.
22. Remove mildew by moistening spot with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then lay item out in the sun for bleaching. Rinse and wash as normal.
23. Sprinkle rock salt on sidewalks and driveways to keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easy snow removal.
24. Have a sore throat or a pesky canker sore? Gargle with salt water! Dissolve two teaspoons of salt in 1/4 cup of warm water and swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds (gargling if you have a sore throat).
25. If stung by a bee, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain.
26. Keeping flowers fresh longer by mixing a tablespoon of salt into the water of a vase of fresh flowers.
27. Help remove odours in your gym shoes by sprinkling a little salt in them to absorb the moisture.

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• 15 Ways to Use Lemon Peels