Ecosalon.com is a great site for all sorts of useful information. Here they offer some interesting uses for salt. Who knew? Here are 20 unusual
and surprising household, beauty and health uses for salt, from
cleaning the chimney to brightening your skin. Learn more with this book
Salt: A World History
Drip-proof candles - Don’t you hate it when candles drip down as they burn, making a mess
that’s practically impossible to clean? Prevent this from happening by
soaking new candles in a strong salt solution for 2-3 hours.
Clean smelly food spills - A little cinnamon in a pinch of salt will make dripped-on messes in
the oven easier to clean, and prevent them from stinking up the house.
Just sprinkle the mixture onto the drip soon after it occurs, while the
oven is still hot. Once it has cooled, brush away the salt and the mess
will come with it.
Test egg freshness - Got a questionable egg? Add two teaspoons of salt to a cup of water,
and drop in the egg. If it’s fresh, it will float; if it’s past its
prime it will sink right to the bottom.
Sanitize sponges - Used sponges harbor a shudder-inducing variety of bacteria. To
restore them and kill some of those germs, suds them up, rinse them
thoroughly and then soak them in cold, heavily salted water for an hour
or two.
Kill poison ivy - Nobody likes poison ivy, the irritating vine that has ruined many an
otherwise pleasant outdoor experience. Three pounds of salt mixed with a
gallon of soapy water, applied to the leaves and stems of poison ivy
with a sprayer, will kill this tenacious pest of a plant.
Extend broom life - Natural fiber brooms can last a lot longer if you use this easy trick: soak them in hot, salty water before their first use.
Soothe a bee sting - Remove the stinger, wet the sting and immediately shake on a paste of
salt and water. Let it dry, and it will reduce inflammation and relieve
pain.
Remove soot from chimney - A handful of salt thrown onto the flames in your fireplace will not
only produce pretty, vivid yellow flames, it will help loosen soot in
the chimney, preventing chimney fires and improving air flow.
Relief for canker sores - A saltwater gargle will take the bite out of a toothache and ease the
pain of canker sores and sore throats. Dissolve two teaspoons of salt
in 1/4 cup of warm water and swish it around in your mouth for at least
20 seconds, gargling if you have a sore throat. It will likely burn at
first, but it works.
Keep clothes from freezing on the line - Add a little salt to the rinse water when washing a load of laundry
to keep the clothes from freezing stiff on the clothesline. Soaking the
clothesline in salt water will also prevent clothes from sticking to it
in cold weather.
Restore artificial flowers - Who has time to clean every individual petal of a bouquet of silk or
nylon flowers? There’s an easier way. Just toss the flowers in a
gallon-sized zip-lock bag along with about a cup of salt. Shake the bag
well, and the salt will whisk away the dust and debris.
Keep milk fresh - Sour milk is the worst, especially if you don’t realize it’s gone bad
until you’ve already poured it into your cake batter or coffee mug.
Keep it fresh longer by adding a pinch of salt to the carton, pinching
the spout closed and gently shaking to mix.
Make coffee less bitter - Over-brewed coffee that has taken on a bitter taste can be much
improved with a tiny pinch of salt, which will also enhance the flavor.
Remove blood, wine and perspiration stains - Blot up spilled wine and then pour salt on top to absorb what’s left,
pulling as much of it out of the fabric as possible. Blood-stained
linens can be restored in cold saltwater followed by a wash in hot,
soapy water. To remove perspiration stains from clothing, dissolve a
teaspoon of salt in a cup of hot water and sponge it on.
Prevent sliced fruit from turning brown - Dip sliced apples, pears and other fruits susceptible to browning in
lightly salted water to preserve their fresh look. If your apple slices
have withered, salt water will also perk them up.
Keep windows frost-free - To keep frost from accumulating on the windows in your home and your
vehicle, dip a sponge in salty water and run it over the inside and
outside of the glass, then rub dry with a soft cloth.
Deodorize shoes - Suck the stink-worsening moisture out of canvas shoes by sprinkling a
little salt inside them and then wiping it out. Don’t use this trick on
leather or synthetic shoes, as it could dry them out too much and cause
them to deteriorate.
Reduce eye puffiness - So you caught a late-night airing of The Notebook on cable and went
through a box of tissues – nobody needs to know. Obliterate the evidence
by mixing a pinch of salt in a little hot water and applying it to
puffy, swollen areas around your eyes with a cotton pad. The salt will
help draw out the moisture and tighten the skin.
Give your skin a glow - Massage a mixture of salt and olive oil into your skin in circular
motions, leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off. The massage
increases circulation to your skin, the olive oil moisturizes and the
salt buffs away dead skin cells.
Brighten yellowed linens - Dingy whites can be brought back to their crisp, white best without
the use of bleach. Boil cotton or linen items in a big pot of water with
a few tablespoons of salt plus a few tablespoons of baking soda.
for these uses:
