Tips GB

5 ways to use salt when cleaning the house

By Airtasker

Updated: January 5th, 2024

It's for more than just chips.

Along with its cousin baking soda, salt is a powerful natural cleaning agent and should be part of your non-toxic cleaning arsenal.

Don’t spend your cash on expensive creams, gels, and aerosols. A simple ingredient like salt can clean pretty much everything in your house as well as the best cleaning services in Brighton.

It’s absorbent and anti-bacterial
Salt will suck up moisture like it’s a refreshing cocktail. It’s great for preserving food and keeping it bacteria-free.

It’s tough
The abrasive texture of salt makes it really good at scrubbing away dirt, but still gentle on fabrics and surfaces. It’s non-toxic too, so you can use it on cooking surfaces without worrying about weird chemicals.

Here are some eco-friendly cleaning hacks to try with salt.

1. Clean cast iron pans

If food has been burnt onto your fancy cast iron pans, salt can scrub it away without damaging the metal.

When the pan is still warm, pour some salt into it and use a cloth or sponge to scrub away the stains. When you’re done, rinse it away with warm water, and dry with a paper towel. Put a low heat underneath the pan to evaporate all the moisture.

2. Remove coffee and tea stains

Remove coffee and tea stains from mugs, surfaces, and kitchen counters – scrub with salt sprinkled on a sponge, then rinse with water. You won’t be left with the residue of toxic stuff in your next cuppa.

This method works on a lot of fabric stains too. It’s particularly effective with grease marks, red wine, and sweat (happens to the best of us).

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3. Freshen wooden chopping boards

Mix salt with acidic lemon and you’ll create a very handy chemical reaction.

Sprinkle loads of salt all over your chopping board – the coarser the better. Use a lemon half to scour the surface, and give it the occasional squeeze to let the salt mix with the lemon juice. Leave it to sit for about 10 minutes, then rinse with water and leave to dry.

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4. Clean a coffee machine, dishwasher, kettle, iron etc.

All kinds of appliances can be cleaned with salt. Add salt to your usual dishwasher cycle, or add salt to the water in your kettle before boiling.

Some coffee machines and dishwashers will come with a recommended cleaning solution, but salt water usually does the job just as well. Just make sure it’s 100% pure salt before you start!

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5. Remove water stains

Water with a high mineral content can leave stubborn stains on surfaces, particularly wood. To remove, mix either lemon juice or diluted vinegar with salt to make a thick paste. Rub the paste into the stain, leave for a few minutes, and then wipe away.

To avoid future watermarks, make sure you wipe them away as soon as you spot them.

Salt is a miracle worker when it comes to natural cleaning. It’s an even bigger winner for parents who don’t want chemicals sprayed and wiped all over their house.

As long as you’ve got salt, baking soda, lemon, and some diluted vinegar in your tool kit, you should be able to clean pretty much anything.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Airtasker

Inspiring the world to get more done

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