Salt does more than just flavor your food and prevent you from slipping on ice. This essential condiment can be found in any household, so it's best to know all its uses to get the most out of your table salt.
I usually buy mine in bulk at Costco for a super cheap price. I've saved a ton of money using it creatively, and I encourage you to try at least a few of these clever salt hacks.
Number 8 is my favorite!
1. Pour it down the drain
I have to unclog a drain in my house at least once a week. Hair gets stuck in the drain in the bathroom, and food gets stuck in the kitchen sink.
It's an endless struggle, and my family hates the smell of liquid drain cleaner. Luckily, I stumbled upon a natural concoction that's worked perfectly.
Clear the drain as much as you can, then pour 1/4 cup of baking soda and the same amount of table salt in a bowl. Mix those two ingredients and pour it straight into the sink.
Then pour 1/2 cup of vinegar in the sink. Wait for at least half an hour, and then rinse with hot water.
2. Remove the stink from your shoes
No matter how clean your feet are, your shoes will start to smell overtime.
Sprinkle some salt in your shoes, and let it sit for at least a night. You can also add baking soda and a slice of lemon to create a more powerful anti-odor mixture.
Salt will not only absorb the smell, it will also deter bugs from nesting in your shoes.
3. Get rid of ants
Speaking of bugs, salt is also great for deterring ants from taking over your home.
If there's a certain place that ants love to hang out, sprinkle some salt there.
You can also make a solution containing one part salt and four parts water to spray on any place you think would become inhabited with these little critters. To make this, first boil the water and then add salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved.
If the infestation is huge, add cayenne pepper or ground black pepper.
4. Remove bubbles while doing the dishes
While bubbles are fun, they don't help get the job done when you're trying to wash your dishes.
In order to see to the bottom of your kitchen sink, sprinkle a pinch of salt. The bubbles will almost vanish instantly.
If they're still there, move the water gently.
5. Stopping a fire
Get ready to save the day with some table salt! Pour a generous amount of the condiment directly on the flame and it will extinguish immediately.
Life hack: Always keep a bottle of table salt around when you're out barbecuing.
6. Clean your bathtub
Cleaning your bathtub is literally a pain. You have to bend over and scrub with all your might, and, most times, the tub won't even get as clean as you'd like.
Instead of breathing in all those chemicals, combine salt with vinegar, grapefruit, turpentine, or lemon and scrub. This natural concoction will leave your tub squeaky clean.
7. Remove pan grease
Remove stubborn stains and baked-on grease by layering your greasy pan with salt. Use a dry sponge to rub the salt around the whole pan.
The condiment will absorb the grease right up!
8. Deodorize your smelly hands
If you're like me, you can't stand when your hands smell. It's actually worse than when your breath smells, because you can close your mouth, but you can't do anything with your hands.
If your hands have dealt with fish, garlic, onion, or anything else that doesn't smell great, first wet them and then rub salt all over them.
Scrub your hands for a minute, and then rinse with warm water.
9. Wash shower curtains with table salt
To prevent mold from growing on your shower curtain, wash it with table salt.
It's best if you do this right after you buy the curtain, so that way you're set for a long time.
10. Remove a carpet stain
If some red wine has spilled on your carpet, absorb the fluid with a sponge, then pour a lot of salt over the stain.
Let it sit for at least half a day, and then remove. The salt will absorb the blot, and you'll never have to worry about having another one again! (Thanks to this clever table salt hack.)
11. Expired Eggs?
It's easy to tell when most foods have expired: you see the mold. Eggs, however, are not so easy. You can go off the expiry date, but that's usually not very accurate.
To test how fresh your eggs are, place them in a glass of table salt and water. The mixture should be two teaspoons one cup of water. Let it dissolve before you put the eggs in. Make sure there's only one egg per glass.
If the eggs float, they're expired.
12. Make Cheese Last Longer
It's not so easy to tell how fresh your eggs are, but you sure know when your cheese has expired.
To prevent mold from forming and to give yourself more time to consume the delicious dairy product at your own pace, wrap your cheese in a cloth or paper towel soaked with salt water.
13. Fix Holes In The Wall
These unattractive small holes in your wall have a quick and easy fix.
Make your own nail hole filler by combining an equal amount of salt, cornstarch, and water. Make this into a thick paste that you can spread over the small hole.
Let it dry and paint over.
14. Prevent Browning
Fruits and vegetables don't have a very long shelf life once they're cut. To keep those fruit and veggie slices fresh longer, put them in a bowl of salt and water.
Prevent them from tasting salty by dissolving a very small amount of table salt in one cup water. Let your fruit soak for a few minutes, drain, and then rinse with fresh water.
15. Brush Your Teeth
I love this hack when I'm camping!
You may not want to do this every day, but there's nothing wrong with brushing your teeth with table salt when you have no other alternative.
Combine a teaspoon of salt and baking soda to make an effective homemade toothpaste. All you need to do is dip a wet toothbrush in the mixture, and you're set!
Salt helps to remove tartar and stains, so brushing with table salt at least once a week can be great to fight cavities.
