Salt, It's Not Just For Seasoning - 14 Uses For Table Salt

I've been a homemaker and working wife for over thirty-eight years. Because I'm always short on time, I look for cleaning and cooking shortcuts to save time and money. For instance, if you've ever gotten small splotches of blood on your carpet, you know the stain can be tricky to remove, especially after it's dried.

1. Try this; sprinkle plain table salt on the stain. Moisten a clean cloth and rub the cloth into the stain and blot it up. Salt breaks down the protein in blood and the stain will be gone with no damage to your carpet.

2. Are the pantyhose in your drawer a tangled mess? Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will all come out the same color.

3. Spilled red wine can be difficult to remove. Cover the wine stain with salt. Rinse the fabric in cold water before washing and the stain will come out.

4. To remove grease stains from clothing, mix one part salt with four parts alcohol. Rub into the stain before washing.

5. Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip up faster.

6. Also, add a pinch of salt to water before cooking eggs. They will boil faster.

7. And, gelatin sets more quickly when you add a pinch of salt.

8. Cleaning your fresh from the garden greens in salt water makes it easier to remove dirt.

9. Fresh fruits put in mildly salted water will not discolor

10. Ready to clean up the kitchen? Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing it. Spills will wipe right up.

11. Soak discolored glass in a mixture of salt and vinegar solution to remove stains. them well. They won't drip when you burn them.

12. Drip proof candles. Soak new candles in a strong solution of salt water for a few hours. Dry them well. They won't drip when you burn them.

13. Add a dash of salt to the vase of water for fresh flowers. They will last longer.

14. Sprinkling salt between cracks in cement or between bricks will keep grass from growing there.

Carlene Rae Dater has been a writer of both fiction and non-fiction for over 25 years and has been published in a variety of genres. Writing, reading and talking about mysteries is her passion. Visit her mystery blog at: http://www.themysterystartshere.com or view her published books at: http://www.silveradopublishing.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlene_Rae_Dater

5 Ways To Make Your House Healthier Today

With the increase in health problems across the world, creating a healthy home has become a top priority. It is not uncommon to hear of allergies disappearing, rashes clearing up or headaches becoming a distant memory when a family takes charge of their environment. Here are 5 simple steps you can start taking today to make your house a healthy place to be.

1) Raid your pantry: If you have never thought about what you toss in your grocery cart you are in for an eye-opener. There are two big ingredients that destroy your health every time you consume them: Partially Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats) and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). If you have either of these anywhere in your house, trash them. Don't worry about the waste factor. You wouldn't want to pass on the "poison" to someone else. Trans fats are artery clogging fats that provide zero benefit to the body. Trans fats are created in a laboratory by adding extra hydrogens (hence the name partially hydrogented) to the existing fat molecule. This is done to extend the shelf life of food products. Monosodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin. Neuro means nerve and toxin means death. Nerve death is never a good thing primarily because your nerves cells don't grow back!

2) Make a menu and grocery list: By making a weekly menu with corresponding grocery list you are limiting what you buy. When you walk blindly into the store you are more likely to grab what sounds good at that moment and what is most convenient. Instant gratification and convenience almost always guarantees an unhealthy choice. Choose a cookbook with healthy recipes to create your menu from. The Sonoma Diet has fresh healthy recipes and daily meal plans. A cookbook with preplanned meals is a great springboard for creating a healthy habit. Once you have created your menu of all meals for the week go through the recipes and write down the ingredients you don't have. Making the list is the easy part. It's sticking to it that can take some practice. Just remember if you're shopping on the perimeter of the store your in the "healthy" zone.

3) Remove disposable diapers and disposable sanitary products: Disposable diapers contain known carcinogenic chemicals called Dioxin and Sodium Polyacrylate. Dioxin is created in the bleaching process and Sodium Polyacrylate is the gel crystals that absorb liquid in a diaper. Cloth diapers and cloth menstral pads are an economical, environmental and healthy alternative to disposable products. This transition is one of the more difficult ones. It can be confusing, overwhelming, and your mind is most likely racing with millions of faulty preconceived ideas. Reading other"s experiences and strategies on a blog like All About Cloth Diapers will set your fears and doubts to rest. With the internet today you can learn from other people's mistakes and drastically decrease the learning curve.

4) Inspect your cleaning products: Removing harmful chemicals like bleach, sodium lauryl sulfate, 1-4, Dioxane and Propylene Glycol are positive steps towards creating a healthy environment for your family. There are many "green" cleaning products on the market today making this transition an easy one. Some alternatives include: Ecover Dishwashing Detergent, Crunchy Clean Laundry Detergent, Burt's Bees Honey Milk Lotion, Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap, Clorox Green or Vinegar for countertops and windows. Make a list of all the cleaning products in your house and set goals for when you will phase the unhealthy out. It may take your 3-6 months to complete the task but every step brings you closer to a healthy house.

5)Drink more water and less soda: We've all heard the recommendation of 8 8oz glasses of water a day at minimum or else dehydration sets in. Whether or not this recommendation is accurate, the truth is drinking water is never bad (unless you are over doing it by the gallons). Transitioning your soda intake by reducing one at a time is the best start. Sodas have many harmful chemicals in them. Aside from the High Fructose Corn Syrup that spikes your blood sugar and predisposes you to diabetes, there is Phosphoric Acid. Phosphoric Acid leaches your bones of Phosphorous causing them to be more brittle. Next time you reach for that can of Coke, grab a glass of water instead.

Autumn Beck invites you to learn more about natural living by visiting her blog at: http://www.allaboutclothdiapers.com/ Click Here for Cloth Diapering Strategies Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Autumn_Beck