10 Surprising Household Uses for Ordinary Table Salt

Image source: Pixabay.comm

Salt is a regular household staple, and almost everyone knows it can add a tremendous amount of flavor to your food. But there are many other uses for salt around your house that have very little to do with food.

Here are 10 household hacks using regular old table salt:

1. Remove watermarks

If your wood furniture has watermarks on it, then mix some salt with just enough water to make a thick paste. Put the paste over the watermark and rub it in a circular motion until the watermark is gone. Spray furniture polish on it afterward to keep your furniture looking new and shiny.

2. Soothe a bee sting

With a paste of salt and water you can make the “sting” from a bee sting go away. This paste reduces the pain and swelling and also minimizes the time it takes for the bee sting to heal.

3. Refresh silk flowers

If you have silk flowers around your home and notice they’re not looking as fresh as they should, then grab the salt from the kitchen. Place salt in a brown paper bag, followed by your flowers. Shake the bag for a few minutes.

Upon removing them from the bag, you’ll find them looking fresh and new. If they aren’t looking as fresh as you’d like, then repeat the process as necessary.

4. Clean cast iron

Put a couple tablespoons of oil into the skillet and heat up the pan until it’s warm. Add salt to the skillet, and a paste will form. Scrub the skillet with an SOS pad or something similar, and then rinse with hot water, drying thoroughly.

5. Make vases shiny

Flowers make any home look fresh and lively, but a dull-looking vase can ruin the ambience. Rinse your vases out with salt water to remove the residue. Then, wash them out with hot soapy water and sit them out to air dry (or dry with a clean towel).

6. Remove coffee or tea stains

We all have that favorite coffee mug. You know — the one your children made for you in kindergarten or the one you purchased at a souvenir shop during one of your most memorable vacations. To clean out the stains, mix one tablespoon of salt with one tablespoon of vinegar. Let the mixture sit in the cup for two or three hours; then, rinse out with dish soap and towel dry.

7. Brush your teeth

A teaspoon of salt mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda makes a great alternative to toothpaste. Take a wet toothbrush and dip it into the mixture. Brushing your teeth with this alternative will remove all stains and potentially some tarter from your teeth.

8. Clean your face

Mixing salt with olive oil will give you an amazing exfoliating skin mask. You can apply this to your elbows, knees, heels or anywhere else you might have dry skin. Rub this mixture lightly onto your skin to remove any dead skin. The olive oil in this mixture helps to soften your skin while the salt, which is naturally abrasive, removes the dead skin and exfoliates the skin underneath.

9. Remove odors

If you have been preparing food in your kitchen, especially onions or peppers, then a mixture of salt and lemon juice can help to remove the odor from your hands. After rubbing it between your hands, thoroughly wash them with soap and water and towel dry.

10. Clean floors

When cleaning your floors, add a tablespoon of salt to a bucket of hot water to help leave your floors looking even more fresh and clean. To take it one step further, add some lemon juice for a nice scent.

What uses would you add? Share your tips in the section below: