(incidentally, you can get great salts and spices here on Etsy)

Salt! It’s a natural preservative, a healing agent, a cure for some illnesses, a flavor enhancer, a beauty treatment in many ways, and much more!  I felt it was time to round up my favorites into one big post: my 20 awesome-est uses for salt! 

20 Uses For Salt!

1. The Water Cure.  If you have never heard of the water Cure, you are not alone.  That said: it is pretty refreshing in my use.  I happen to be a heavy sea-salt user, but, as it turn out, many people fall short on the minerals in sea salts in their body, which can lead to a host of physical issues.  It is considered a holistic “miracle cure” for some…and THIS article will fill you in on how it works!

2. Wave-promoting beachy hair spray! This is so easy and works so well.  Mix a few tablespoons of salt into a clean spray bottle and fill with warm water. I use a medium sized spray bottle, maybe 2 cups worth of water in it.  I also use water that was de-chlorinated by my shower filter, but you can always heat up some bottled water.  Shake to dissolve. Spray liberally on hair when damp or dry and scrunch to promote curls. Note: this can lighten your hair in the sun, so beware the rays if you do this!

3. Body Scrub: Mix even parts sea salt and olive oil to make a quick scrub for your shower.  I actually err on the side of extra salt, as I love the deep exfoliation.

4. Sore throat helper. Gargle with table salt or sea salt (roughly a tablespoon) dissolved in warm water.  A few rounds of this should decrease the average sore throat.

5. Make eggplant edible: My grandma is to thank for this one. Before you cook eggplant, slice it up and salt it (sea or table salt works) and let it sit for a bit.  A water should start leaking out of the eggplant. Press it to release more. This takes the bitterness out.

6. Wine stain remover.  Did you knock over that glass? Save the day by throwing salt on it (it will soak up lots of the wine) and then washing the tablecloth afterward with some stain remover for good measure!

7. Make watermelon sweeter. Grandma strikes again! If you sprinkle just a tiny bit of salt on your watermelon it becomes magnificently sweeter!

8. Melt snow.  Of course, salt is always good for de-snowing pathways, though kosher salt is much better for this one!

9. Clean your chopping block!  I usually wash my cutting board and then sprinkle with salt and give it a good rub. Afterward, a few drops of grapefruit seed extract will disinfect without chemicals.

10. Boil water faster! Its true: some salt will help your water boil faster. It will also reduce the probability of bland veggies if you are blanching them, and its critical for pasta water if you are cooking some fresh or dried.  You can add a few healthy shakes (2 tsp…) to a big pot of water.

11. Flower Power.  A little salt in a vase- like sugar- helps flowers stay fresher longer.  I think I will try salt and sugar together for the next bouquet!

12. Freshen Your Dish Sponge: According to the Salt Institute, you can soak your kitchen sponge in some salt water to refresh it!

13. Make your Candles Dripless?!  Another from the Salt Institute: “Soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well. When burned they will not drip.”

14. Puffy Eye Cure:  This one I’ve tried & depending on the puffiness reason, it does work. (It works when I haven’t slept enough, It doesn’t work for allergies) Soak cotton balls in a salt-water solution, put them in the fridge or freezer to get very chilly, and then rest them on your eyes for a bit.  #relief!

15. Coffee Enhancer! Saltworks suggests putting a touch of salt in your coffee to brighten its flavor. fascinating!

16. Clean Dirty Oven Burners:  Ginger Mandy suggests “Mix with cinnamon for an easy, natural oven cleaning scrub.”

17. Use Salt In The Bath: While “dead sea salt” is touted for its ability to help with skin conditions like psoriasis, when in a lurch, a handful of Himalayan pink salt or a few scoops of plain sea salt can enrich your bath with invigorating minerals.

18.Help Your Fruit Keep It’s Color:  Care 2 suggests ” Most of us use lemon or vinegar to stop peeled apples and pears from browning, but you can also drop them in lightly salted water to help them keep their color.”

19. Clean your Bathroom:  Another really goodie from Care2. “Salt works as an effective yet gentle scouring agent. Salt also serves as a catalyst for other ingredients, such as vinegar, to boost cleaning and deodorizing action. For a basic soft scrub, make a paste with lots of salt, baking soda and dish soap and use on appliances, enamel, porcelain, etc.”

20. Make Your Toothbrush Last Longer. While I’ve been known to soak toothbrushes in grapefruit seed extract, you can also soak ’em in salt water for an hour or two every week to clean & disinfect them!

Amazing, no? There are hundreds more uses but these are my faves- mixed with a few that fascinate me! What is your favorite use for salt besides sprinkling it on food…?!

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