We all use salt in our food, but did you know it has lots of other uses, too? I was baking some muffins over the weekend and noticed a "Household Hint" on the Morton salt container:
"Place silk flowers into a large bag and pour in one cup of Morton Salt. Shake vigorously." Hmm, so that's how to clean silk flowers! I don't use them in my home, but I've often wondered about them becoming dusty. And by then the bait had worked: I got the muffins into the oven, set the timer, and hopped onto mortonsalt.com. There, I found four more "Household Hints" that seem particularly helpful:
- "Remove rust from household tools by using Morton ® Salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Apply the paste to rusted area with a dry cloth and rub."
- Remove odors from a wood cutting board by "pour[ing] a generous amount of Morton ® Salt directly on the board. Rub lightly with a damp cloth. Wash in warm, sudsy water."
- To clean a glass vase "mix 1/3 cup Morton ® Salt and 2 tablespoons vinegar to form a paste. Apply to inside of vase. Let stand 20 minutes, scrub, and discard paste. Rinse vase and dry. For a large vase, double or triple the quantity of paste."
- "To patch small nail holes and fine cracks in plaster or wallboard, mix 2 tablespoons Morton ® Salt, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and about 4 to 5 teaspoons water to make a thick, pliable paste. Fill hole and let dry. Sand if necessary, then paint."
Obviously, this can be done with any brand of household table salt, not just Morton. But thank you, Morton Salt, for the helpful hints! There are a few more, including children's projects and wellness tips at mortonsalt.com.
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I use salt for the cutting board but I also add some leon juice which helps wit the odors and disinfecting it.
Thanks, Regina. This is great! I had no idea you could use salt to patch holes! I use salt to clean my cast iron pans. I did a post because as I was searching for how-to's on cleaning cast iron I came across lots of bad info. Here's a link if anyone needs the know how.... http://bestingnesting.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/housekeeping-how-to-season-a-cast-iron-pan/
When gluing two pieces of wood together, using a small bit of Kosher salt with the wood glue will help prevent the two pieces from sliding apart when pressure is applied.
I use extra fine sea salt every morning in my Neti Pot. I haven't had a head cold in years and it really helps flush all the junk out of my sinuses and is a godsend in the springtime. Just make sure you use non-iodized salt and the finer the grind the better!
If you have pinecones as part of your home decor you can clean them using the abovementioned method- although I put one cone in each bag to avoid them cracking one another. Since I learned this method, I haven't been able to resist picking up perfect pinecones when I see them... in the Sierra mountains, Tahoe, even at the parking lot at the farmers' market!
i sometimes use kosher salt to scrub the bottom of my cast iron pots. helps when i accidentally burn things. :)
You can clean your iron with salt, too.
I use kosher salt when chopping up fresh herbs. Just a pinch and it helps the leaves stick together when you're cutting.
You can use salt to scrub out the inside of a toilet (it cleans, but don't expect it to disinfect, if you're into that).
I mix salt and olive oil for a diy salt scrub in the shower. Take a half cup or more of salt and add just enough oil to make it viscous but not soupy. You can add some essential oils as well, or a little vanilla extract for fragrance. Also, make sure you have a non-slip mat, or the oil could get slippery.
Clean a copper pot with a half a lemon covered in salt. The acid in the lemon combined with the scrub of the salt removes the tarnish. I hear vinegar and salt also work well, but it's easier to scrub with a lemon half!
When you're at a bar and your highball glass is sticking to your cocktail napkin when you lift your glass, sprinkle some salt on that napkin and it will no longer stick to your glass.
If you spill red wine, immediately sprinkle the spill generously with salt. The salt will absorb the wine and leave the area stain free. Works well on tablecloths, upholstery and rugs.
Like jick, I use salt to clean my cast iron, but I also find that it works great on any pot I've scorched. Works with much less elbow grease than a scouring pad requires and leaves no scratches.
drop an egg? cover it with salt and you'll be able to scrape it up without using a million paper towels.
OK, this isn't a table salt use, but sea salt is a great deodorizer for laundry. AND, egg-shaped salt rocks (Whole Foods or any place that carries organic toilettries) is an incredible underarm deodorant, and it doesn't contain harmful aluminum. And the $4 "egg" lasts for a year.
Use salt along with cold water to scrub out bloodstains before laundering!!!
Hehehe...Don't ask!
bepsf -- wow, excellent!
I'm always bringing my bar napkin up for the ride when I take a sip. Not smooth at all. But no more with your tip!
To clean coffee pot stains, sprinkle table salt into the pot, add some lemon juice and a few ice cubes. Carefully shake the contents around to clean. Works like a charm.
To get rid of weeds in interlocking stone or cracks in pavement: pour on the salt! (Don't do this on the lawn or in your garden or you will have a brown spot)
i'm loving all these salt uses. salt rocks ! hehe.