Many more ways to use salt other than Seasoning food

If you think salt is only for seasoning food, think again. There are literally hundreds of ways to use salt in your home! We picked 10 tips and tricks that are applicable in your kitchen.

Put out grease fire Grease fire happens when a pot of oil is left on the stove for too long. The number one mistake is putting it out with water, as it will cause oil to splash, and the vaporised water will carry oil particles, causing the fire to spread. Throw salt onto it to absorb the grease, and this will help extinguish the fire.

Remove pinfeathers Rub chicken with salt to remove pinfeathers.

Clean kitchen sponges Mix half a cup of salt with one litre of hot water. Place the sponge into the salt water and leave it to soak overnight. Drain the salt water the next day and the sponge will be pristine again.

Brighten cutting board Dip a damp cloth in salt and then rub it on a cutting board. It will turn brighter and lighter in colour.

Remove stains from enamel pans Scrubbing burnt surface on enamel pans may damage the enamel coating. Skip the elbow grease and instead, soak the pan overnight in salt water and then boil salt water in it the next day. The stains should come right off.

Test an egg’s freshness Eggs look the same on the outside so how do you tell which is new and which are the leftovers from two weeks ago? Add two teaspoons of salt into a cup of water and gently place the egg into the cup. A fresh egg sinks while the old one floats.

Deodorise oven Sprinkle salt on spills in oven when it’s still hot. When dry, remove with a cloth. Salt also neutralises burn food odour in the oven.

Keep ants away You can sprinkle salt on their paths to discourage them from moving forward or sprinkle some on shelves as a repellant.

Enhance coffee Add a pinch of salt into your morning coffee to enhance the flavour or remove the bitterness of overcooked coffee.

Keeps containers smelling fresh Closed plastic containers smell musty if left on the shelf for too long. Add salt into these containers to absorb moisture and neutralise the stink.

Source of image and content taken from:http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/identify-old-eggs-salt-trick-102021803.html

Insomnia Solution

Even if you've drunk gallons of camomile tea, shut the curtains and turned off the lights, there's still plenty of reasons why you might not be falling into the land of nod. 

Here are six of the biggest sleep faux pas that keep millions of Brits awake at night...

Too many tablets 

If you've got a cold or, even worse, the flu, you may be struggling to switch off because of a runny nose and chesty cough. It's natural to reach for the pills and pop a couple of tablets, but this could actually make things worse. 

Pseudoephedrine, which is present in most decongestant tablets, has been known to cause insomnia, so stick to remedies specifically designed for the night time. 

Cut your soak short

A long hot bath can definitely make you feel more relaxed, but climbing straight out of the water and into bed really isn't a good idea. 

Naturally your body temperature dips at night making you feel more relaxed. A hot bath makes your temperature rise, but it's the actual cooling down process that relaxes you. 

The steeper the drop, the deeper you'll sleep, so quickly diving under the covers won't give your body the correct cool-down. Take a bath at least an hour before bed time for the best results. 

Don't use your laptop in the dark

Tapping away on your computer before bed may sound like a great way to rest, but research has shown that the 'blue-light' emitted from gadgets suppresses our melatonin levels and throws off our body clocks. 

Switch your gadgets off an hour before bed or dim the screen as much as possible after 8pm. 

Carb cramps

Eating big starchy meals before bedtime puts strain on your digestive system and can leave you feeling bloated. Research has shown that a full tum can stimulate brain waves that result in nightmares, so steer clear of big meals two hours before bedtime. 

Avoid arguments

Even if you're bursting to get something off your chest, arguing about it before bedtime will just keep you awake. Stress and over stimulation before bed won't allow your brain to relax, so you'll stay in a state of 'sleeplessness'.

The same goes for sending angry texts or making difficult phone calls - save the stress until the morning. 

Don't search for missing items 

You've just got comfortable but now you've remembered that annoying missing sock that you forgot to look for earlier. 

Getting up and searching for it could settle your mind, but if you can't find it it will only drive you to distraction. Unless it's urgent stay away from puzzles and conundrums until the morning. 

Content and image source: Yahoo Singapore:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/desperate-good-nights-sleep-6-things-avoid-bedtime-202006080.html