photo credit: quinn.anya via photopin cc
We have already shown ways you can clean cheaply and greenly with baking soda and also with white vinegar …another easy, cheap and readily available product you can use to clean with is salt. I’ve been using salt this past week in place of a lot of ways I had been using baking soda and it really works! And it’s super cheap and something you usually always have at home. Here’s a few ideas and ways you can use it around the house….and remember….there’s no chemicals involved!
SCOUR
Make your own scouring cleaner by sprinkling salt on the surface to be cleaned and rubbing with a cloth dipped in lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. *I used salt on my white kitchen sink to see if it would scrub away tomato sauce and coffee stains. Worked great with very little elbow grease. I have not bought anything like Comet or Ajax scrubbing cleaner since March for sink and tub cleaning and have saved a ton of money by using just baking soda (and now salt).
FRESHEN THE FRIDGE
A weak solution of ordinary club soda and a little salt can get your fridge fresh. Simply apply with a soft cloth. *I did this just to do a general clean on our fridge shelves and it was fast and made the shelves look fresh and clean in minutes.
OVEN SPILLS
When oven spills occur, sprinkle with a mixture of one part cinnamon and 6 parts table salt. When the oven is cool, wipe up the mixture. Not only will it absorb the spill but it’ll help remove the burnt food odor. *I tried this too. I had something (don’t know what because I was cooking up a storm that day) that I thought I cleaned up but the next time I turned the oven on, I was still getting the “burn” smell….tried this and it got rid of the smell!
COPPER BOTTOM CLEANING
A little salt and vinegar or salt and lemon juice will clean copper bottoms on pots and pans. Just sprinkle on, rub lightly and wash as usual. Just remember, this may make them look nice, but the duller the copper bottom on your pot, the better the heat transference.
CAST IRON COOKWARE
To clean the INSIDE of your cast iron cookware, instead of washing after each use with soap and water (you just really don’t want to use soap on cast iron), try shaking salt onto the cookware and wiping it clean. This keeps food from sticking when frying and needs only to be washed every other use. A light coating of cooking oil every so often won’t hurt either. Helps prevent rust. *I did try this and the salt helped absorb the oil and it wiped out easily! I do rub my cast iron down after every use with oil.
SILVER CLEANING
Mix some lemon juice and salt, dip a soft cloth in it and rub your silver with it. Rinse off with clean water and dry well. *Took my tarnish off and I didn’t have to scrub!
THERMOS ODOR
To deoderize your thermos flask and other closed jugs etc., simply pour 1/4 cup of salt and let it sit for a day or two. Rinse with clean water.
DRINKING GLASSES
Stubborn stains and discoloration on your glassware can sometimes be removed by soaking the item in a solution of 1 part salt and 8 parts white vinegar.
COUNTER CLEANER
Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water, white vinegar and add a teaspoon of salt. Shake well to dissolve the salt. You can also substitute lemon juice for the vinegar. *I have been using this for just general cleaning of the counters and have done it all week and liked the results.
DRAIN MAINTENANCE
Every month or so, give your sink drain a perk up. Pour a 1/2 cup of salt down the sink drain and follow it with a kettle of boiling water. This should prevent most grease build up and deoderize it at the same time. *I did do this last week but can’t say if it did anything or not? Wasn’t having any problems but hopefully, if I do it every month, I’ll never have any problems!
VEGGIE CLEANING
If you’re concerned about there being some crawly critters still on the veggies, then fill your sink with cold water, mix 1/4 cup salt and soak the veggies in it. Any unwanted guests will usually die and end up on the surface of the water, where they can be skimmed off easily. *Ok, I tried this with fresh spinach that didn’t come pre-washed and I actually cleaned my spinach first, then cleaned it again with the salt….I found two little gnat looking bugs floating in the water!
ONION HANDS
Try rubbing your hands with salt and vinegar to get the smell of onions of your hands.
GREEN MARKS
If your ceramic sink has developed those pesky greenish marks, try this. Wet a cloth with white vinegar and then dip it into some table salt. Rub the area briskly with the cloth and then rinse it well.
FAUCET FACTS
A good way to clean your bathroom taps (or any chrome for that matter) is to rub it with half a lemon dipped into some salt. If you don’t have a lemon, just use distilled white vinegar and salt on a cloth. Rinse well in both cases with water and buff dry with a dry cloth or paper towel. *This worked fabulously on my kitchen faucet! LOVE this tip!
WINE STAINS
For red or white wine spills, sponge immediately with club soda or sprinkle salt over the area immediately to absorb the wine. *I didn’t try this becasue I didn’t want to waste any wine! Ha! We didn’t have any spills this week but if you try this, I’d like to hear how it worked for you.
WICKER CLEANING
Clean wicker furniture by rubbing with a stiff brush dipped in warm salt water. The salt should prevent the wicker from yellowing. Be careful not to wet the wicker too much.
IRON DEPOSITS
Give your iron a cleaning every so often. Wipe the ironing surface down with some salt on a damp cloth and rinse off.
STAINED HANKIES
Stained handkerchiefs will often come cleaner if you soak them first in salt water.
GRAVY STAINS
First, try washing the stain with warm water and dish soap. If the stain still persists, try dabbing it with a solution of 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp. ammonia and 1/2 tsp salt.
PERSPIRATION STAINS
Place the garment in a bucket of warm water with 1 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup salt. Soak for about an hour before laundering.
VOMIT ODOR (on clothes)
Pour 1 cup salt into a bucket of warm water. Soak the garment in it for 1 hour. Launder as usual.
POISONING POISON IVY
To clean out your garden of poison ivy, mix a solution of 3 parts salt, 1/4 part dish soap and 2 parts hot water. Soak the ivy with the mixture 2 or 3 times.
WEED CONTROL
To discourage weed or grass growth in your stone patio or walkway, heat a gallon of water with a pound of salt. Stir well and pour between the stones. *Tried this and not only was it way cheaper than weed killer (and safer), but it worked in our sidewalk cracks and killed the grass growing there.
TOOL RUST
Sometimes light rust on tools can be removed by rubbing with a mixture of 2 parts salt and 1 part pure lemon juice.
DRY SHAMPOO
If you don’t have time to wash your hair, just mix 1 part salt and 8 parts corn meal. Apply it to your hair and brush it out. *Tried and liked this.
EXFOLIANT
For a good body exfoliant, use kosher salt and water. *Like this and it works…also like using sugar for this.
SPOT REMOVAL
For small pimples, clean them out by pressing a cotton ball dipped in hot water and a little salt, for about 2 minutes.
BREATH FRESHENER
Here’s a great freshening mouthwash. Just mix 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking soda in a glass of warm water.
I got these tips from one of my favorite books…Haley’s Cleaning Hints by Graham and Rosemary Haley
**If you have any tips on how you use salt (other than in cooking), we’d love to hear about it!