10 Money-Saving, Eco-Friendly Things You Can Do with Salt

Get Salty and Savvy.

By Sophie Uliano
Los Angeles, CA, USA | Mar 04 2009

 I'm continuing my budget-friendly series here with suggesting the myriad uses for common household items. Since green is all about saving money, your health and the planet, it makes sense to consider 10 things you can do with a jar of eco-friendly, common salt.

1. Freshen your waste disposal: Pour 1 cup of salt into the unit, run cold water and start the motor. The salt will dislodge grimy deposits.
2. Prevent grease from splashing: If you throw a few pinches of salt into the frying pan before frying fatty foods such a bacon, you’ll prevent having to clean all the that grease off the hob.
3. Washing your Greens: It can be tough to wash greens such as chard, Kale and even spinach because of the little curly crevices. Wash the leaves in a sink half full of cold water and 1/2 cup of salt.
4. Mold prevention: In these tough economic times, we can't afford to let anything go to waste, especially an expensive piece of cheese. Prevent a hunk from going moldy by wrapping it in a napkin that has been soaking in salt-water prior.
5. Ditch the stain remover: Many stain removing sticks can be toxic. Instead make a solution with 4 tbsp of salt in 2 cups of hot water. This is especially good on yellow perspiration stains. Simply sponge the solution onto the stain and rub until the yellow disappears. Wash as normal.
6. Mouthwash: Most drugstore mouthwashes are expensive and contain dye, alcohol and sweeteners. Do it the old-fashioned way by mixing 1tsp salt and 1 tsp of baking soda in 8ounces of warm water. You can also add 5 drops of tea tree oil if you like the taste.
7. Salt Rub: Forego the expensive body scrubs and give yourself a homemade salt rub at home. Just dip your mitts into a large tub of sea salt and massage while your skin is wet and then shower off.
8. Pick up broken eggs: Have you ever tried to scoop up an uncooked egg that has smashed onto the floor? Extremely difficult—however if you use salt, easy! Cover the spill with salt as it will draw the egg together and wipe up with a recycled paper towel.
9. Remove baked-on food: When you are facing the awful task of scrubbing out a roasting pan, dampen the pan and sprinkle salt all over. The salt will lift off the baked on food.
10. Spruce up your mop: To prevent you having to run out and buy a replacement mop head (not my favorite activity), soak your mop in bucket of water with 1 cup of salt overnight.