salt slt • noun

A white, chrystalline substance that gives seawater its characteristic taste and is used for seasoning or preserving food. Alternative name sodium chloride.

Derivatives: saltish, saltness, saltless Chemical formula: NaCL

WE ALL have it in our cupboards and it makes an appearance almost every time we begin to prepare a meal. But, apart from adding flavour to our meals, common table salt can be used to make numerous little tasks around the house easier.

We all have, at one time or another, gargled lukewarm salt water to help ease a sore throat. And salt was the best way to cure meat in the days that preceded the refrigerator. Washing green, leafy vegetables such as lettuce, pak choi and cabbage in salt water will get rid of worms or snails that are hiding in the folds. Here are some other ways to use salt:

1. Soak fish in salt water before scaling; it makes the scales come off easier.

2. Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs will sink, bad ones will float.

3. Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent yellowing.

4. Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth.

5. A mixture of salt and lemon juice removes mildew.

6. Remove odours from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt water.

7. Dissolve approximately a quarter teaspoon of salt into the equivalent of half a mouthful of warm water. Swish it around in your mouth and gargle. This is helpful in dealing with toothaches. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.

8. A smelly cutting board simply means bacteria are present. Salt kills bacteria, so rub some salt into your cutting board, let it sit for a little while, then rinse. Your board will smell fresh and be bacteria-free.

9. To clean artificial flowers, put flowers in a bag of salt and shake the bag. Take a look at the colour of the salt and you'll see what you've accomplished.

10. Rub a mixture of two tablespoons of salt with one tablespoon of lemon juice on to rusting surfaces then wipe clean.

11. Add a little salt to water before putting in your fresh cut flowers. It will make it last longer.

12. Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.

13. Salt is used to melt snow in countries that have winter.

14. Huge blocks of specially prepared salt are used by cattle farmers who want to fatten the herd. The cows lick the block then drink lots of water, thus speeding up the fattening process.

Sources

http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/salt.shtml

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/274/1/Uses-for-salt.html