Uses of Table Salt you never knew

UNUSUAL USE OF TABLE SALT

Salt certainly makes our food more flavorful, but it can also work to fix many of our unexpected challenges around the house. 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 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.

USES FOR TABLE SALT

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.
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.
Egg Shells off: Before placing eggs into a pot to boil, add a teaspoon of salt into the water. This helps the shells to come off more easily .
If you drop a whole egg on the floor, pour salt all over the egg, let it sit for awhile, then use dustpan, the egg will come right up, without all that mess.

Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

No sweat: To remove perspiration stains on white clothes, sponge them with a solution of 4 tablespoons of salt and 1 litre of hot water. Apply till stain is removed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Make Homemade Kids’ Paints

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 are using.

Keep Sliced Fruit and Vegetables from getting Brown

To keep any chopped fruit or veg from turning brown, simply place them in a bowl or pan filled with salt water.

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.

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 wonderful smelling room.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.