Real Life of an MSW

The coarse nature of kosher salt makes it a powerful scrubbing agent. Both our experts recommend using it to scour rust and food remnants from a cast-iron skillet. To do so, pour a half cup of salt onto the pan and use a sponge or paper towel to work the grime away. Then rinse it clean and wipe it dry.

“It’s also an excellent abrasive when it comes to cleaning your stove,” Solomon writes. Or for oven grates, sprinkle salt liberally over grease or burned food that have built up and clean them with a damp rag.

Salt can also be useful for cleaning cutting boards, since “it gets into the grooves and cuts that knives have made for a deeper clean,” Koch writes. After dusting the surface with salt, use half a lemon to spread the natural exfoliant around.

To scour the garbage disposal, she suggests tossing in a quarter cup of salt, a handful of ice cubes, a drizzle of dish soap and just enough cold water to lubricate before allowing it to run for a few minutes. “The salt will help scrub gunk off the blades, which are actually more like teeth,” Koch writes. The same cocktail of ice, salt and soap can banish the stains in a coffee pot, too.

Another clever way to use salt is to pour it over a broken egg, according to Koch. This will help the yolk and whites clump up, making it easier to wipe off the counter or floor.