10 brilliant uses for salt
1 De-puff tired eyes in a blink
You had so much fun catching up with friends last night, but you woke up with puffy eyes. The save: Fill a cup with 16 oz. of warm water and 1 tsp. of salt, dip two cotton balls in the solution, then lay your head back, close your eyes and place the cotton balls over your eyelids for 5 minutes. The warm water will open the pores around your eyes so the salt can draw out the excess fluid, reducing swelling.
2 Remove food odors from skin
Your garlic-Parmesan wings are always a hit—if only they didn’t leave your hands smelling for days! To eliminate the odor, wet your hands, then sprinkle a generous amount of salt on your palms. Rub the salt all over your hands for a minute, then rinse clean. The coarse salt will scrub away lingering food particles causing the odor.
3 Ease the itch of bug bites
The little one in your life spent the weekend camping, and now she’s back home and scratching at mosquito bites. To help her feel better, combine salt with enough water to create a paste, then dab all over the bites. Salt boasts antiseptic and antiinflammatory properties that help reduce swelling and ease discomfort.
4 Lift stubborn sweat stains
Before you toss a T-shirt with yellow perspiration marks, try this: Dilute 4 Tbs. of salt in 1 quart of hot water, then dip a washcloth in the liquid and gently scrub the spots until they disappear. Launder as usual. The sodium will break down pigments in the marks so they come off in the wash.
5 Keep stovetop spills from hardening
Oops! The sauce you added to your pan bubbled over while you were making dinner and now you have a liquid mess on your stovetop. To keep it from solidifying, immediately sprinkle salt on the spill. The granules will soak up the liquid so you can wipe up the mess—no scrubbing required!
6 Outsmart a flea infestation
To rid your carpet of fleas, sprinkle salt liberally over it and let sit overnight, then vacuum thoroughly in the morning. Empty the canister in the outside garbage. The salt acts as a dehydrating agent to kill fleas and their eggs.
7 Unclog a drain naturally
Your bathroom sink is backed up again and you hate using harsh chemical solutions to clear it. An alternative: Mix 2 Tbs. of salt with 2 cups of club soda and pour down the drain. After a minute, follow with hot tap water. The abrasive salt and the carbonation will dissolve the blockage and the hot water washes away any lingering grime.
8 Extend the life of a toothbrush
If it seems like you’re picking up a new toothbrush for someone in your family every other week, try this to help brushes last longer: Before using a new toothbrush, add equal amounts of hot water and salt to a small bowl or cup and place the brush inside so the bristles are fully submerged in the water. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water. The saltwater solution will stiffen the bristles to ward off fraying.
9 Moisturize dry, flaky skin
Guarantee a healthy glow with an easy DIY face mask. To do: Mix 1⁄4 cup of salt and 1⁄2 cup of olive oil to form a paste, then use your fingers to apply to skin in a circulation motion. Leave in place for 5 minutes, then wash off. The slightly abrasive salt buffs away dead skin while the olive oil moisturizes.
10 Deodorize stinky sneakers
After your morning walk, your tennis shoes are smelling less than fresh. To eliminate the odor, pour 2 Tbs. of salt into a paper coffee filter; tie closed with a rubber band. Repeat with another filter and place one sachet in each shoe. Let sit overnight. The salt granules will soak up odor-causing moisture, banishing the smell.