Think salt is used only to add flavor to food or make those boiled veggies taste better? Think again- according to the Salt Institute, about 14,000! There is no other more versatile mineral. However, salt was very difficult to obtain in ancient periods, but with modern production methods, nowadays salt is the most common and readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world; in fact, the supply of salt is inexhaustible.
Uses:
1. A saltwater soak can do wonders for that special mosquito-bite itch–a compress of salt mixed with olive oil can help too. You can also help relieve itches caused by poison ivy
2. Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until perspiration stains fade.
3. Add to boiling water to reduce cooking time.
4. Ancient Indians used to mop/clean their floors using 2 tablespoons of rock salt and few drops of Mustard oil in a bucketful of water. This used to help keep the insects away and simultaneously deodorize the rooms.
5. Arrange artificial flowers by pouring salt into the vase, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt becomes solid as it dries and holds the flowers in place.
6. Attack wine spills by blotting up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with a pile of salt, which will help pull the remaining wine away from the fiber and then soak the tablecloth in cold water for thirty minutes before laundering.
7. Brighten colors by washing colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.
8. Clean a glass coffee pot by adding salt and ice cubes to a coffee pot, swirl around vigorously, and rinse. The salt scours the bottom, and the ice helps to agitate it more for a better scrub.
9. Clean a gunky iron bottom by sprinkling a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots
10. Clean brass or copper with equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar to make a paste, and rub the paste on the metal. After letting it sit for an hour, clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth or you can also use a lime juice and salt mix to clean those dark spots.
11. Clean greasy pans with a good sprinkling of salt and paper towels.
12. Clean refrigerators by mixing salt and soda water can be used to wipe out and deodorize the inside of your refrigerator.
13. Clean sink drains by pouring salt mixed with hot water down the kitchen sink regularly to deodorize and keep grease from building up.
14. Clean stained cups by mixing salt with a dab of dish soap to make a soft scrub for stubborn coffee and tea stains.
15. Clean teeth. Use one part fine salt to two parts baking soda–dip your toothbrush in the mix and brush as usual. You can also use the same mix dissolved in water for orthodontic appliances.
16. Dry clothes in the winter by using salt in the final laundry rinse to prevent clothes from freezing.
17. Ease mouth problems. For cankers, abscesses and other mouth sores, rinse your mouth with a weak solution of warm salt water several times a day.
18. Ease throat pain. Mix salt and warm water, gargle to relieve a sore throat.
19. Extend cheese life by prevent mold on cheese by wrapping it in a cloth moistened with saltwater before refrigerating.
20. Extend toothbrush life. Soak toothbrushes in salt water before your first use; they’ll last longer
21. Extinguish grease fires by dousing the flames with salt, it acts like a heat sink and dissipates the heat from the fire–it also forms an oxygen-excluding crust to smother the fire.
22. Have an exfoliating massage. After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It freshens skin and boosts circulation.
23. If weeds or grass grow between bricks or blocks in your patio, sidewalk or driveway, carefully spread salt between the cracks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.
24. If you soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well, they will not drip as much when you burn them.
25. Immediately dampen area and pack on a small pile of salt to reduce pain and swelling caused by bee-stings.
26. Keep cut flowers fresh with a dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase.
27. Prevent cake icing crystals by adding a little salt cake icings prevents them from sugaring.
28. Prevent fruits from browning. Most of us use lemon or vinegar to stop peeled apples and pears from browning, but you can also drop them in lightly salted water to help them keep their color.
29. Remove odors from hands by rubbing your fingers with a salt and vinegar combo.
30. Remove water rings by gently rubbing a thin paste of salt and vegetable oil on the white marks caused by beverage glasses and hot dishes on wooden tables.
31. Rinse your mouth. Mix equal parts salt and baking soda in water for a fresh and deodorizing mouth rinse.
32. Save the bottom of your oven by a handful of salt on top of the spill in oven, it will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
33. Soak the blood stained cloth in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash.
34. Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills and anywhere else ants sneak into your house.
35. Tackle mildew or rust stains by moistening stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching–then rinse and dry.
36. Test egg freshness by dissolving salt in water and place an egg in it–a fresh egg will sink, an older egg will float.
37. To fill nail holes, fix chips or other small dings in white sheetrock or plaster walls, mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water to make a thick paste. Use the paste to fill the holes.
By: Archa Dave
