5 ways to use salt to remove unpleasant odors and dampness

Salt is not only a food additive, but also a natural antiseptic that prevents the development of putrefactive bacteria, a known abrasive and adsorbent. Many housewives use it at home. For example, the use of salt to remove the smell of sweat and dampness is very popular. We invite you to find out exactly how it works and what you need to do to get rid of the unpleasant odor.

How does salt eliminate odors?

The stench is the result of the activity of pathogenic microorganisms. The smell of sweat occurs due to the activity of bacteria, and dampness is felt when mold fungi are activated. Most often, unpleasant odors appear in places where there is high humidity - in the bathroom, cellar, or on an uninsulated balcony. Then shoes that don't allow air to pass through stink. Feet produce moisture, which becomes food for germs. The heat generated by friction contributes to their rapid reproduction and, as a result, a foul odor.

How does salt help fight odors?

• Destroys pathogenic microorganisms. It has been proven that in a 10% water-salt solution the reproduction of most microbes stops. This is explained by the difference in salt concentration in the bacterial cell and the environment. Moisture from the microbes passes into the saline solution, as a result of which the metabolism is disrupted and the microorganism dies. In a similar way, salt kills and fungal spores - dehydrates them.
• Absorbs moisture. Salt has adsorbing properties. It absorbs any liquid, including unpleasant smelling ones.It is used to remove fresh stains of grease and sweat. In addition, the substance adsorbs moisture from the air, clearing the room of foreign odors.
• Cleanses. Coarse salt can also be used as a cleaning agent. They rub it on bathroom tiles, sinks, bathtubs, and plumbing fixtures to get rid of mold and the smell of dampness.

Salt is effective against odors if the environment around it is moist. In dry form and on dry surfaces it has no effect.

5 ways to use salt to remove odors

Odor removal salt is used in its pure form or mixed with other substances, depending on what exactly the extraneous odor needs to be removed from and what its nature is. For example, to combat grease and burns, it is used in dry form, calcined in dishes that need to be cleaned, or heated in the oven.

• To eliminate dampness, salt pots are placed in the house, always uncovered.
• Clothing that smells like mold is boiled or soaked in a saline solution.
• To remove odors from sinks and sewer pipes, salt is dissolved in boiling water and poured inside.
• Walls that smell like mold are treated with a mixture of salt, soda and washing powder.
• To remove the smell of sweat from shoes, use dry salt, and also wash the insoles in a solution with its addition.

Salt can damage some types of materials - wood, natural leather. It accelerates the destruction of metals. Large particles may leave scratches. Therefore, you need to use the product carefully.

Clothes smell damp

An unpleasant aroma is caused by microscopic spores of a fungus that grows on damp fabric in the absence of air circulation.

To remove the smell coming from clothes, mix the following ingredients:

• 1 liter of warm water;
• 4 tbsp. spoons of salt;
• 1 houra spoonful of ammonia.

Next, the mixture is boiled over low heat for about half an hour and applied to clothes that smell unpleasant or are even covered in mold. If fungal spots are clearly visible on it, they are watered with a solution and at the same time rubbed with a brush. When the procedure is completed, the items are washed in the usual way.

To clean delicate fabrics, use the same solution, but chilled.

Smell of mold in the house

There are several ways to combat mustiness indoors. But before you use them, you need to find its source and eliminate it. Insulating walls or running a heater often helps get rid of the damp aroma. As for salt, the following recipes will help:

• Salt pots. You need to select flat and wide containers, fill them with salt and place them around the apartment so that the crystals quickly absorb the smell. You can replace the pots with linen bags.
• Washing the floor. Add 5-7 tbsp to a bowl of water. spoons of sea salt. The saline solution will add freshness to the air in the room and disinfect the floor.
• Treatment of walls and other surfaces. A very ancient and effective recipe. It includes 1 glass of hot water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tbsp. spoon of washing powder, 3 tbsp. spoons of soda. The ingredients should be dissolved and then treated with the resulting composition on bad-smelling surfaces. After 10–15 minutes they need to be washed. The walls are treated a second time and the solution is left to dry.

To remove salt stains from the surface, use a solution of white table vinegar. Dilute vinegar in a ratio of 1 to 3 with water, soak a cloth in the liquid and wipe the desired item.

Shoes stink afterwards

To clean the inside of winter shoes or sneakers, remove the insoles.Place them in a cold solution made from three ingredients:

• 1 liter of water;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of salt;
• 1 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent.

Rub the insoles with a soft brush under water and then rinse. While they are drying, take 200g of rock salt and heat in a frying pan until warm. Pour into shoes and spread over the entire surface with your hand. Leave it inside for 8–12 hours. Then shake it out. Together with the salt, even the racks and the pungent smell of sweat will go away.

To make your feet sweat less, try the following recipe: dissolve 3 tbsp in 5 liters of hot water. spoons of salt (preferably sea salt) and a quarter of a bar of laundry soap. Take hot foot baths every evening for 5 days. Excessive foot sweating will go away.

The smell of sweat from clothes

Of course, the best way to get rid of odors from clothes is to wash them. But you don’t always have time to do laundry. If you need to quickly refresh yesterday's sweater or dress, use a solution of 3 tbsp. spoons of salt and 1 tbsp. spoons of water. Next, you should identify the area from which the smell is coming and apply the mixture to it. After 15–20 minutes it will absorb the aroma. All that remains is to rinse the treated area with clean water and dry.

The use of table salt in everyday life is not limited to cooking. If you don’t have any special means to eliminate odors at hand, salt will always help out. Use it to purify the air in your apartment and remove traces of sweat from shoes. Each of the above recipes works. Choose the one you like best and get down to business.