7 Unexpected Things You Can Clean With Salt, According To Pro Cleaners
I was looking at my overflowing cabinet of expensive cleaning sprays the other day and felt a little silly. We spend so much money on specialized products that promise to make our homes sparkle. But I recently learned from a professional cleaner friend that one of the most powerful scrubbers is already sitting right on our kitchen table. Good old table salt is actually a secret weapon for tackling some difficult messes. Let us explore what it can do together.
Saving Your Cast Iron Skillet
If you have ever panicked about how to clean stuck food off a cast iron pan without ruining the seasoning, salt is your answer. You do not want to use harsh soap or metal scrubbers. Instead just pour a generous handful of coarse salt straight into the warm pan. Grab a folded paper towel and rub the salt around in circles. It acts like a gentle sandpaper that lifts away the burnt bits without scratching the iron underneath.
Refreshing Your Wooden Cutting Board
Wooden cutting boards are beautiful, but they really hold onto the smell of garlic and onions. You cannot exactly throw them in the dishwasher either. To get them completely fresh again, sprinkle a heavy layer of salt all over the board. Take half of a cut lemon and use it to scrub the salt right into the wood grain. The salt pulls out the hidden moisture and trapped odors while the lemon naturally sanitizes everything.
Scrubbing Away Stubborn Coffee Rings
I absolutely love my morning coffee but I hate the brown rings it leaves inside my favorite ceramic mugs. Even running them through the dishwasher never seems to get that dark stain out completely. You can fix this easily by making a little paste with regular table salt and a few drops of water. Just rub it directly onto the stains with a soft cloth. The salt lifts the dark tannins right off the ceramic instantly.
Stopping An Oven Spill In Its Tracks
We have all had a casserole bubble over and drip onto the hot oven floor. The smell of burning food fills the kitchen immediately. Instead of waiting for it to cool and scrubbing it later you can just carefully toss a handful of salt directly onto the wet spill. The salt will absorb the liquid and form a hard crust. Once your oven is completely cool you can literally just sweep the mess right up.
Lifting Fresh Red Wine Stains
Spilling red wine on a light colored carpet feels like a complete disaster. Your first instinct is probably to rub it with a wet towel but that just pushes the stain deeper into the fibers. The very first thing you should actually do is cover the entire wet spot with a thick mountain of salt. The salt grains will act like tiny sponges and pull the wine up and out of the carpet before it sets.
Polishing Dull Copper And Brass
If you have copper pots or brass cabinet hardware that looks a little dull and greenish you do not need harsh chemical metal polish to make it shine. You can just mix equal parts salt and flour with a splash of white vinegar to make a paste. Rub this mixture all over your tarnished metal items and let it sit for about an hour. When you rinse it off with warm water, the original bright shine returns.
Rescuing A Gross Kitchen Sponge
Even though we know that dirty sponges can get pretty gross, sometimes they just need a quick reset instead of throwing them away. If your sponge feels a little slimy but is still relatively new you can bring it back to life. Fill a small bowl with warm water and mix in a quarter cup of salt. Let the sponge soak in the salty bath overnight to pull out the grime and kill the sour smell. It should be good to go in the morning.
Related Articles
-How To Clean Burnt Pots And Pants With Epsom Salt
-Salt Is A Natural Weed Killer, Here's How To Use It Properly
-How to Remove Salty Streaks From Your Floor
Who knew salt was so great for cleaning? Since learning these hacks, salt has moved from something I only cook with, to something I use all over my house. Sometimes the absolute best solutions are the most simple and natural ones. Grab your salt shaker this weekend and give one of these tricks a try. You might be surprised by how much you love it.
Bliss Donahue-Power
