Email subscription form header
Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • ABOUT LORI
  • CONTACT LORI
  • WORK WITH US
  • DISCLOSURE
  • New Here?

Are We Friends Yet?

More With Less Today

Where Saving Money Clicks

  • DEALS and STEALS
  • STYLE & BEAUTY
  • HOME DECOR
  • My RECIPES
  • Travel & Fun
  • HOLIDAYS and GIFT GIVING
  • My SOCAL LIFE

Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt That Everyone Should Try!

By Lori, Last updated on January 3, 2025
The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

These Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt are worth keeping in mind. Salt is one of our kitchen’s most common ingredients and can be used in so many clever ways. We came up with 48 new ways to use table salt that you may not have known.

Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt

I have been collecting life hacks tips and tricks since I began my blog in 2009. They are my readers’ favorites and I love them too!

Navigate This Article

Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt that Everyone Should Try!

A woman cleaning her kitchen aisle - Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt

Using Table Salt in the Kitchen

Clean up oven spills

If your baking pan spills over onto the bottom of your oven, pour salt on the spill (carefully with an oven mitt) and then sweep out the spill after the oven cools.

Revive bitter coffee

Add a pinch of salt to your overcooked coffee to get rid of bitterness.

Clean coffee and tea stains from mugs

Add just a tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar into the stained mug and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Scrub the mixture and then wash and dry the cups.

Clean a coffee pot or teapot

Put salt and ice cubes into the pot shake them around and then r Rinse and drain it.

Remove smells

If you are cooking with fish, onions, or garlic, wet your hands and then rub them together with about a tablespoon of salt to remove smells. You can also add a squirt of lemon juice. 

Deodorize a wooden cutting board

Don’t put wooden cutting boards in the dishwasher, sprinkle salt over the cutting board and scour it using half a lemon. Rinse the salt and lemon juice off with water and let the board dry. 

Clean greasy pans

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt in the pan to soak up any grease. Wait about 10 minutes and then scrub with the salt around to remove particles of food and grease and then wash with hot soapy water or put in the dishwasher to finish the job.

Clean sponges

Soak them overnight in a mixture of 2 cups of water and a quarter cup of salt.

Clean the garbage disposal

Freshen up your garbage disposal by putting a half cup of salt down the drain and then running the cold water. Start your disposal and the salt will get rid of odors and help to clean the disposal.

Remove lipstick from glasses

Sprinkle some salt onto the lipstick stain and rub gently with your fingers. The lipstick will come right off and then you can wash it as normal.

Prevent grease splatters

Add some salt to the pan before you begin frying food to keep splatters down.

Clean refrigerator shelves

Firstly. remove the food. Mix a handful of salt in a gallon of warm water. Use a sponge to clean refrigerator shelves without using harsh chemicals.

Using salt on a pot of water

Using Table Salt in Food

Cleanup dough

After you finish rolling out the dough, sprinkle your countertop or cutting board with salt and it will be easier to clean up the extra bits of dough.

Clean up a dropped egg

Cover the egg with salt, and wait about 10 minutes. The salt will turn the egg mess into crumbly sand that’s easy to wipe up.

Quickly chill white wine

Put the bottle in an ice bucket with ice, water, and a handful of salt. Twist the bottle to stir the salt around, and the wine will be chilled quickly.

Peel hard-boiled eggs

Add a teaspoon of salt to your water before placing the eggs in it to boil and the shell will peel right off. 

Make perfect poached eggs

Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon salt into the water just before you put in your eggs. This helps to “set” the whites. You can also add a splash of vinegar.

Test your egg’s freshness

Add 2 teaspoons salt to 1 cup water and gently place the egg in the cup. A fresh egg will sink and an old one will float.

Shell pecans easier

Soak the pecans in salt water for several hours before shelling, and the meat will come cleanly away from the shells.

Wash spinach

Wash your fresh spinach in salted water. The dirt will be rinsed out with the saltwater and you can get the spinach rinsed faster.

Keep salad crisp

Lightly salt your salad immediately after you make it, and it will remain crisp for several hours.

Revive wrinkled apple skins

Soak them in mildly salted water to make the apple skin smooth again.

Stop cut fruit from browning

To ensure that cut apples and pears retain their color, soak them briefly in a bowl of lightly salted water. 

Homemade whip cream

Add a pinch of salt to the cream and it will whip up lighter.

Add a pinch of salt before you beat eggs

The eggs will beat faster and higher and will firm up better when you cook them.

Prevent mold on cheese

Wrap cheese in a napkin soaked in salt water before storing it in the refrigerator. 

Using salt for clothes - Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt

Life Hacks Using Table Salt in the Laundry Room

Set the color of new clothes and towels

Add a tablespoon of salt to the wash to help seal the fabric color.

Brighten formerly white cotton fabrics (such as white t-shirts or perspiration stains)

Place yellowed cotton fabrics in a pot of water. Add 1/4 cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda, and then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Let it soak for at least three days, then rinse with cold water and lay flat to dry.

Get rid of mildew

Make a paste from salt and lemon juice. Rub the paste on the stain, then let dry (ideally in the sun), and then wash the clothes in the washing machine.

Get out grease stains

Mix 1 part salt to 4 parts rubbing alcohol then rub it into the fresh stain and then wash as normal.

Deodorize shoes and boots

Sprinkle some salt into your shoes at night, then shake them out in the morning.

Clean your iron

If something has melted onto your iron, sprinkle some salt onto a piece of wax paper and then move the hot iron over the paper and the iron should come clean.

Pretreat an oil stain

If you spill salad oil or dressing on your clothes, pre-treat the stain with salt to absorb the grease and then wash as usual.

A person unclogging the sink with salt - Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt

Life Hacks Using Table Salt in the Bathroom

Relieve bee sting pain

If you are allergic to bee stings, see a doctor immediately. If you are not allergic and are simply in pain from a sting, mix salt and water into a paste. Apply to the bee sting immediately and cover it with a compress. Leave the paste on for 30 minutes.

Soothe a sore throat

Dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water and gargle it to temporarily relieve throat pain.

Unclog a drain

Mix together one cup of salt, one cup of baking soda, and half a cup of white vinegar, and pour the mixture down the drain. Follow with 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and let sit for 15 minutes, and then carefully rinse that down with a pot of boiling water.

A person using water and salt to clean furniture

Life Hacks Using Table Salt Throughout the House

Clean wicker furniture

Scrub your outdoor furniture with a stiff brush dipped in saltwater and then let the furniture dry in the sun.

Remove watermarks from wood

Make a wet salt paste and gently rub it into the ring until the watermark disappears. You should test this in an area that does not show first and then polish it as normal.

Stop candles from dripping

Make a saltwater solution of 2 tablespoons of salt for every 2 cups of water. Soak your candles overnight and then set them out to dry.

Polish brass or copper

To shine your candlesticks or remove green tarnish from copper pots, make a paste by mixing equal parts salt, flour, and vinegar. Use a soft cloth to rub this over the item, then rinse with warm, soapy water and buff them back to their original shine.

Prevent icy windows

Dip a sponge in salty water and rub it on the inside of your windows. This will stop any ice from forming.

Hold artificial flowers in place

Fill a vase or other container with salt, add a little cold water, and arrange your artificial flowers. The salt will solidify, and your flowers will stay in place.

Clean artificial flowers

Place them in a bag with some salt and shake them around and the dust and grime will come off.

Clean flower vases

If you have a residue inside your flower vase, rub it with salt, then wash it with soapy water. If your hand won’t fit inside, fill the vase with a strong solution of salt and water, and then swish it around, or use a bottle brush, and then wash. 

Ease fireplace clean-up

Your fire will burn out more quickly if you douse it with salt (use caution!). You will wind up with less soot and the salt will make it easier to sweep up the ashes.

Clean up a red wine spill on the carpet

Blot the stain with a damp sponge, then generously pour salt over it. Let it set for about 8 hours or overnight. The salt will suck up the wine and then clean as usual.

A person wearing gloves while cleaning up plant pots

Life Hacks Using Table Salt in the Garden

Rid your garden of snails and slugs

Pour salt onto the areas where you see snails and slugs and they will die.

Clean flowerpots

Instead of making a muddy mess by washing the pot in water, just sprinkle a little salt and scrub off the dry dirt with a stiff brush. 

Thank you to LittleThings.com and ReadersDigest.com for your help with some of these salt hacks!

Are there any Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt we missed? Let us know in the comments, and please SHARE this article with your friends and family!

Hacks You Might Also Like

  • 46 Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Can Improve Your Life
  • 20 Genius Uses for Leftover Coffee and Coffee Grounds

SAVE to PINTEREST for later!

Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt - PIN

Don’t forget to share these Genius Life Hacks Using Table Salt with your friends and loved ones. If you are on social media, I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter. Just click on the links to visit my profile. Leave a message and I will follow you back!

4/5 - (3 votes)


Sharing is caring!

  • Share
  • Tweet

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

More with Less Today Hello From Lori

Are We Friends Yet?

  • LIKE
  • TWEET
  • PIN
  • FOLLOW
  • EMAIL

Footer Widget Header

Find it Fast!

  • Online Deals and Steals
  • Style on a Budget
  • Home Decor
  • Grocery Coupons
  • Our Favorite Recipes
  • Travel & Fun
  • Southern California Living
  • Send us an email
  • Tweet with Us
  • Follow on Facebook
  • See our Pinterest Pins
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Share a Tip

Footer

© 2009–2025 More With Less Today

Disclosures • Privacy Policy • Terms & Conditions • Accessibility • About • Contact

Disclaimer: Nothing contained on this website is intended to constitute professional advice, including but not limited to, medical, legal, or financial advice. All information is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of this website or it's employees, contractors, users, or sponsors. Readers are expected to do their own research before making any purchases.

The links found on this site may be referral links, which support this site at no cost to you. Please see my Disclosure Policy for full details

More with Less Today is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com