Eight ways you didn’t know you could use salt

IT WILL soothe a mozzie bite and make your teeth cleaner. There’s more to this humble mineral than you know. Learn more handy uses for salt.

IT HAS long been a stable of the kitchen table, but there’s more to salt than just making your steaks taste better.

The brackish mineral can be used all over the home to make life a little easier, Huffington Post reports.

From extending the life of your toothbrush to soothing tired feet or getting rid of red wine stains, grab the Saxa next time you’re in a bind.

1. PREVENT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES FROM BROWNING

Don’t you hate it when a freshly peeled potato goes brown?

Dropping fruits and veggies into lightly salted water while you’re cooking will keep them from going brown.

A classic example: when you’re peeling dozens of spuds for a potato salad to feed the whole clan on Christmas Day, keep a pail of salty water in the sink and your freshly peeled taters will keep their nice, white colour.

2. EXFOLIANT AND DEODORISER

Salt is great at sloughing away dead skin, which is why it’s such a popular ingredient in those fancy scrubs they use in day spas.

It’s also a good deodoriser. So if you’ve stinky hands or callused feet, scrub them with a salt to lift away the top layer of skin and reveal a soft, polished surface below.

Feeling fancy? Add a few drops of essential oils for added pampering. Lemon is energising, for example. Lavender is calming.

3. RELIEVE ITCHES

Nice try, buddy, but we’ve got salt on the case.

Whatever the bite, a cloth soaked in salty water will soothe the itchiness. Apply the cloth as a compress to keep your skin cool and relieve the irritation.

4. CLEAN THE KITCHEN AND BANISH SINK ODOURS

Salt’s benefits as a skin exfoliator also apply in the kitchen and bathroom. Make up a paste of salt and water, combine it with some elbow grease and it will work wonders on water stains on surfaces and pots and pans.

Use it to buff away grease, stains and that (delicious) burnt-on stuff that sticks to the bottom of the pans when you’re making lasagnes or casseroles or whatever.

Also, pour saltwater down your drain to get rid of that bad smell wafting from any sinks or basins. Make it boiling water to scour the drain out.

5. FIRE MANAGEMENT

If that campfire gets out of control, pour some salt on it. Mind the marshmallows.

Keep salt or baking soda near the stove for extinguishing grease fires. The salt will smother the fire, depriving it of oxygen.

Remember to never put water on a grease fire; it will cause the flames to spread. You can also use salt to cool down a barbecue or bonfire without unwanted mess and smoke.

6. PROLONG THE LIFE OF HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS

Sponges, toothbrushes and your iron will all enjoy a longer life with the help of a salty solution.

Soak grubby old sponges in salty water overnight and you’ll wake up to a brand new sponge.

Pour salt on to some paper and run a warm iron over it to remove any annoying stains that are wrecking your crisp white shirts.

Soak your toothbrush before you use it too. It’ll last longer. Also, you can use one part salt and two parts baking soda instead of toothpaste.

7. KEEP CHEESE FRESH

Salt will keep mould at bay.

Don’t you hate it when you buy a pricey block of cheese that doesn’t get eaten in one sitting, and then gets covered in mould before you can use the rest of it?

Salt to the rescue.

Soak a napkin in saltwater and wrap it around your cheese to prevent mould. It’s a technique cheesemakers have been using forever, and they’re the experts.

8. REMOVE STAINS

How are you going to get that white tablecloth clean? You know the answer by now ... Salt.

If you’ve ever thrown away a white shirt or tablecloth because of a persistent red wine stain, you should’ve tried salt. It’s a fantastic stain remover.

Just soak or dab the stained fabric in cold saltwater to pull out troublesome stains like wine or blood. It will also remove sweat stains and lingering body odour in clothes. Add salt to your detergent in the washing machine to keep clothes fresh and bright.

Salt will also remove those white rings left behind by cold glasses on wooden furniture. Whip up a salt and water paste and buff out the stain. Follow with furniture polish to restore the finish.

Got any handy tips for salt? Share them below or continue the conversation on Twitter. @newscomauHQ