Salt in the Laundry Room (plus other helpful tips)

Warnings

• Sprinkling a liberal amount of salt down your drains will help prevent your drains from freezing, but don’t rely on this method. If you plan to be away from home when the temperature may dip below freezing, be sure to turn off your water main.

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Directions:

First, grab your jar and add 1 cup of the salt to the jar. I use a piece of paper to “funnel” it into the jar as I pour it out of the measuring cup. Easy Peasy!

Add 10 drops of your lemon oil to the salt.

Mix it to thoroughly combine. I like to use a fork to combine the salts and oils together in the jar. They mix together in seconds.

You just want to make sure the oils are incorporated all the way through all the salt.

Then, add the other 1 cup of the salt to the jar and essential oils and repeat the mixing process.

That’s it. You’re done.

You’ve got your very ownlaundry scent booster with essential oils ready to freshen up your towels and clothes.

Video

Hydrogen Peroxide

Head to the medicine cabinet for the hydrogen peroxide as a good alternative to the much harsher chlorine bleach when you need to whiten clothes. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an oxidizing agent that can be used as a bleach. The 3% solution sold in drug stores as a first-aid disinfectant is the best choice for the laundry as well. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen and is a more environmentally safe alternative to chlorine bleach.

Hydrogen peroxide works well in removing underarm yellowing and the dye from nail polish, curry, and red wine stains.

Other uses for salt

Dispelling excess detergent

If you use too much detergent some salt sprinkled on the suds will quickly dispel them without impairing their cleaning power.

Rust stains

Rust stains in laundry items may yield to a combination of salt followed by lemon juice.

Brightening and whitening

Salt can also be a help in the laundry for brightening clothes. Some people just add it to the detergent drawer of the washing machine, just as you would with any other laundry aid.

Here are one or two other uses for salt. I haven’t (yet!) tried all these, so I don’t know just how good they are. Some were suggested to me from my Squidoo page on cleaning with salt, others from readers of this site (Thank you!).

Salt uses in the garden

Salt is good for killing poison ivy. Spray it with salt water. Be careful of other nearby plants. Salting people’s land used to be a method of destroying their ability to live off the land – a hostile act of war: not something you want to inflict upon your garden!

Try salt on mosquito bites. It takes away the itchiness. Just wet the place of the bite and rub some salt in.

Epsom Salt & Kosher Salt Are Not The Same

All over the internet you’ll find recipes for homemade fabric softener crystals using Epsom salt instead of salt.

IMPORTANT: Epson Salt & Kosher Salt are NOT interchangeable. Especially when dealing with your laundry.

A lot of well-meaning people seem to think that Epsom salt is just another type of salt, like Himalayan pink salt. It’s not!

Scientifically, kosher salt is actually sodium chloride (NaCl) and Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate.

Using salt for cleaning laundry and dry materials

Picture: added lemon juice works well for cleaning with salt on some surfaces

Cleaning with salt:

Here are a few ways that salt can be used for laundry and other household tasks such as dust cleaning.

Delicate items

Salt can also be sprinkled on some (dry) materials to clean off dust and dirt. For example if you have delicate cloth items or artificial flowers which have dust embedded in the folds, a sprinkling of salt will gather the dust and it can be carefully shaken out of the item.

The Best Laundry Scent Booster When You Can’t Make Your Own

I know that not everyone is a huge fan of making their own scent booster or their own anything really.

If that is you no worries. You can purchase safer laundry scent boosters than the chemical filled ones. 

In my opinion, the best laundry scent booster is Mrs. Meyer’s Laundry Scent Booster. They have a variety of scents that you can choose from and they are a pretty safe brand. I do however think they use a “natural fragrance,” and I know that some don’t even like that, so just keep that in mind. 

Ironing and Salt

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Ironing is not always a fun task. Salt can make it easier.

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Cleaning: An iron with rough or sticky spots on its surface can be cleaned by running it, set at low, over a piece of paper with salt on it.

­Starch: Add a dash of salt to the laundry starch to keep the iron from sticking to clothing. This will also give a smooth finish to linens or fine cottons.

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Laundry Scent Boosters Are Not Safe

Long story short fake fragrance and the other chemicals in laundry scent boosters are harmful. I’m not here to scare you into switching to all natural products. I just want you to be more aware and to consider switching to a more natural option. 

The best way to safely keep your laundry smelling good is to make your own natural scent boosters. That way you know exactly what is going into your laundry and into your house. 

Table Salt

There are old wives’ tales about using salt to set the dye and stop dye bleeding of fabrics. Unfortunately, salt won’t work that way on today’s fabrics and dyes. But plain, simple table salt works in the laundry as a mild abrasive element for stain removal of rust and red wine stains and to absorb liquid stains before they set.

If you have a red wine spill, sprinkle it liberally with table salt. Use the cheapest salt you can find. Let it absorb the liquid and then brush away before you wash the item. Remember, if you don’t wash it out, salt can leave white stains on your fabric.

If you have stains or residue on the bottom of your iron, salt works well as a gentle abrasive. Simply dampen a handful of salt very slightly and scrub the faceplate of the iron. When the iron is clean, wipe with a clean damp cloth. You're ready to iron.

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