Cleaning with Salt - Safe, Cheap and Effective
Cleaning with salt is one of the most natural and easy ways to make your home a green home as well as a clean home!
Salt is a great natural cleaner and has a multitude of uses.
It's very cheap, easily available and it does no harm to the environment in moderate amounts.
The salt we are talking about here is simple table salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl) to give it it's chemical name.
Any table salt sold in supermarkets or other food shops will do perfectly well, whether iodised or not.
In fact, you can use the very cheapest stuff you can find. (We are talking household salt, here of course! - not the stuff they put on the roads!)
Here's how to use salt in your cleaning programme.
General household cleaning with salt
Cleaning with salt:
Salt dissolves in water and can be mixed with several other natural cleaners. , lemon juice, and washing up liquid all combine safely with salt for various cleaning tasks. can be used with salt for cleaning carpets and other tasks.
Washing up
Use it if you run out of washing up liquid. Just sprinkle salt into the water and wash as usual. Rinse the dishes well. Salt is rather drying on your skin, so you may want to wear gloves or use a skin cream after using it.
You can also use salt as an emergency homemade detergent together with soap.
The "grey water" from washing up using salt is not very suitable for using on your vegetables. It may be too salty for some plants.
Picture, right: no need to use gourmet salt!
General cleaning
Salt can be mixed with vinegar to create a good general purpose cleaner. Don't use it on waxed surfaces, marble or linoleum because the vinegar may be too strong for the surface and cause damage. This vinegar and salt mix can be used for general cleaning about the house. Swab down surfaces and clean inside the fridge and cupboards with it.
It will also remove tea and coffee stains from cups and teapots, etc.
Glass and tiles will come up shining from washing with a salt and vinegar solution.
Oven and hob spills
Cover oven and hob spills with salt.
Let the mixture stand, then wipe up, adding water if necessary. The salt absorbs the liquids and helps lift them from the surface.
It is particularly good at absorbing grease and oils.
If you have a gas cooker: be careful to remove all the salt when you wipe up the spill.
Salt residues may cause your gas burners to flare up with a yellowish flame when you next light the gas.
Cleaning pans
If you have cast iron pans, salt can be a great cleaner.
Just sprinkle salt around and wipe clean. If your pan is not burnt you can do this instead of washing it in water. It will help protect the surface and it will make it more like a non-stick pan!
You can also use salt with hot water. Rinse the pans afterwards and coat with a thin layer of oil. A pastry brush is ideal for this.
You can also wash other types of pan usi...
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