Cleaning Appliances and Cookware with Salt

From cleaning house to preserving food to helping soothe your aches and pains, salt can tackle even the toughest jobs. Most people find that the kitchen is the most difficult room in their home to keep clean. With its endless supply of spills, drips, greasy pans, dirty dishes, and foot traffic, kitchen cleanup can certainly feel like an endless series of tasks. In this article, you will see how salt can be a weapon in the battle to keep the kitchen clean. Once you start testing the solutions, you will be amazed by the power of salt. Let's start with how salt helps keep appliances clean.

Coffeemakers and Coffee Mugs: Remove coffee and mineral stains from the glass pot of an automatic drip coffeemaker by adding 1 cup crushed ice, 1 tablespoon water, and 4 teaspoons salt to the pot when it is at room temperature. Gently swirl the mixture, rinse, and then wash as usual.

Remove tea or coffee stains from light-colored cups and mugs by rubbing the stained areas with salt and a little water. Then wash the mug as usual.

Ovens: If a pie or similar sugary item boils over in your oven, sprinkle the sticky spill with salt. Let it sit until spilled area becomes crisp, then lift it off with a spatula when the oven cools.

Refrigerators: To clean and refresh the inside of your refrigerator, sprinkle equal amounts salt and baking soda on a damp sponge, and wipe the refrigerator surfaces.

Stoves: Any spill on your stovetop can be cleaned up more easily if they are sprinkled with salt first. The mildly abrasive quality of salt removes stuck-on food, but it won't mar the surface.

Clean burned-on food from a stovetop burner by sprinkling it with a mixture of salt and cinnamon, then wipe away immediately. The mixture will give off a pleasant smell and cover up any burnt odor the next time you turn on the burner.

Soak up a liquid spill on a stovetop burner by sprinkling it with a mixture of salt and cinnamon. Leave it on the spill for 5 minutes to absorb excess liquid, then wipe away

Cleaning Cookware Couldn't Be Easier

Cookware can get some unbelievable stains. Salt can make help return your cookware to its shiny state.

Casserole dishes: When you're faced with stubborn, baked-on food in a casserole dish, add boiling water and 3 tablespoons salt to the dish. Let the dish stand until the water cools, then wash it as usual.

Pots and pans: Get rid of excess grease in a roasting pan by first sprinkling it with salt. Then wipe the pan with a damp sponge or paper towel, and wash as usual.

There are many more uses for salt around your kitchen. In our next section, we will explore some more surprising applications for everyone's favorite seasoning.

Salt Makes Copper as Shiny as a New Penny
Make your copper-bottom pans worthy of display.

First, sprinkle the tarnished bottoms with salt, then scour the stains away with a cloth dampened with vinegar. Rinse the pan, and then wash it as usual.

Another tarnish-fighting trick for copper pans: Use a spray bottle to apply undiluted vinegar to the bottom of the pan. Leave the vinegar on the pan until you can see the tarnish evaporating. Next sprinkle vinegar with salt, and scrub the entire surface with a scrubbing sponge. Rinse the pan, and repeat if necessary.