CLEANING WITH SALT

CLEANING WITH SALT
Aired on Monday, August 28, 2017 (8:20am) on Good Morning Arizona (3TV)

The chemical properties of salt also make it useful for many common repair and maintenance jobs around the house. You can use salt to make your own plaster. Salt also does wonders at removing rust and stopping new candles from dripping.

Doing a Drywall or Plaster Repair

Mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water (about 5 teaspoons) to make a thick paste. Use the paste to fill a small nail hole, chip, or other hole in Sheetrock or plaster. Let the paste dry, then sand lightly and paint.

Candles:

Stop new candles from dripping by first soaking them in a strong solution of 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup salt for several hours. Let the candles dry, then burn them as usual.

Rust

Mix salt and cream of tartar, and moisten with enough water to make a paste. Apply to a rust stain on a piece of metal outdoor furniture; let it sit in the sun until dry. Repeat the process if necessary.

Another rust removal method is to make a paste of lemon juice and salt. Apply paste to the rusted object, and rub with a dry, soft cloth.

Clean Sink Drains

Pour salt mixed with hot water down the kitchen sink regularly to deodorize and keep grease from building up.

Remove Water Rings

Gently rub a thin paste of salt and vegetable oil on the white marks caused by beverage glasses and hot dishes, on wooden tables.

Clean Stained Cups

Mix salt with a dab of dish soap to make a soft scrub for stubborn coffee and tea stains.

Clean A Glass Coffee Pot

Every diner waitress’ favorite tip: add salt and ice cubes to a coffee pot, swirl around vigorously, and rinse. The salt scours the bottom, and the ice helps to agitate it more for a better scrub.

Wine Spills

Blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with a pile of salt, which will help pull the remaining wine away from the fiber. Soak the clothing or tablecloth in cold water for thirty minutes before laundering.

Extinguish Grease Fires

Keep a box of salt near your stove and oven, and if a grease fire flares up, douse the flames with salt. (Never use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease.) When salt is applied to fire, it acts like a heat sink and dissipates the heat from the fire–it also forms an oxygen-excluding crust to smother the fire.

Deter Patio and Sidewalk Weeds

If weeds or grass grow between bricks or blocks in your patio, sidewalk or driveway, carefully spread salt between the cracks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.

Stop a Flaming BBQ

Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals.