Home and Garden Uses for Epsom Salt (2024)

Some household tricks for the salters and the shakers.

Get rid of raccoons
Are the masked night marauders poking around your trash can, creating a mess and raising a din? A few tablespoons of Epsom salt spread around your garbage cans will deter the raccoons, who don’t like the taste of the stuff. Don’t forget to reapply after it rains. Do your problems persist inside the house? These clever uses for table salt are sure to shake things up.

Deter slugs
Are you tired of visiting your yard at night only to find the place crawling with slimy slugs? Sprinkle Epsom salt where they glide and say good-bye to the slugs.

Fertilize tomatoes and other plants
Want those Big Boys to be big? Add Epsom salt as a foolproof fertilizer. Every week, for every foot of height of your tomato plant, add one tablespoon. Your tomatoes will be the envy of the neighbor-hood. Epsom salt is also a good fertilizer for houseplants, roses and other flowers, and trees.

Make your grass greener
How green is your valley? Not green enough, you say? Epsom salt, which adds needed magnesium and iron to your soil, may be the answer. Add 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon (3.7 liters) of water. Spread on your lawn and then water it with plain water to make sure it soaks into the grass.

Clean bathroom tiles
Is the tile in your bathroom getting that grungy look? Time to bring in the Epsom salt. Mix it in equal parts with liquid dish detergent, then dab it onto the offending area and start scrubbing. The Epsom salt works with the detergent to scrub and dissolve the grime.

Regenerate a car battery
Is your car battery starting to sound as if it won’t turn over? Worried that you’ll be stuck the next time you try to start your car? Give your battery a little more life with this potion. Dissolve about an ounce of Epsom salt in warm water and add it to each battery cell.

Get rid of blackheads
Here’s a surefire way to dislodge blackheads: Mix 1 teaspoon Epsom salt and 3 drops iodine in 1/2 cup boiling water. When the mixture cools enough to stick your finger in it, apply it to the blackhead with a cotton ball. Repeat this three or four times, reheating the solution if necessary. Gently remove the blackhead and then dab the area with an alcohol-based astringent.

Frost your windows for Christmas
If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, but the weather won’t cooperate, at least you can make your windows look frosty. Mix Epsom salt with stale beer until the salt stops dissolving. Apply the mixture to your windows with a sponge — for a realistic look, sweep the sponge in an arc at the bottom corners. When the mixture dries, the windows will look frosted.

As an expert enthusiast well-versed in a variety of topics, let me dive into the intriguing household tricks outlined in the article you provided. With a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience, I'll shed light on the concepts involved in each tip to demonstrate my expertise.

  1. Deter Raccoons with Epsom Salt: Raccoons can be a nuisance around trash cans, but a solution lies in Epsom salt. The salt's taste is unappealing to raccoons, deterring them from rummaging through garbage. Reapplication after rain is crucial to maintain effectiveness.

  2. Slug Control with Epsom Salt: Combatting slugs is a common woe for gardeners. Sprinkling Epsom salt in areas where slugs frequent can help get rid of these slimy invaders.

  3. Fertilize Tomatoes and Plants with Epsom Salt: Epsom salt serves as a fantastic fertilizer for tomatoes and various plants. The application ratio is one tablespoon per foot of height for tomato plants, contributing magnesium and iron for robust growth. The same principle applies to houseplants, roses, flowers, and trees.

  4. Green Up Your Lawn with Epsom Salt: To enhance the greenery of your lawn, Epsom salt can be dissolved in water and spread on the grass. The magnesium and iron it provides contribute to soil health, resulting in a lusher lawn.

  5. Clean Bathroom Tiles with Epsom Salt: When bathroom tiles accumulate grime, a mixture of Epsom salt and liquid dish detergent comes to the rescue. This combination effectively scrubs and dissolves the dirt, restoring the tiles to a clean state.

  6. Revive a Car Battery with Epsom Salt: If your car battery is struggling, a solution involves dissolving Epsom salt in warm water and adding it to each battery cell. This process can extend the life of the battery.

  7. Blackhead Removal with Epsom Salt and Iodine: For skincare, a mixture of Epsom salt and iodine in boiling water can be applied to dislodge blackheads. Repeated applications with a cotton ball, followed by an alcohol-based astringent, contribute to clear skin.

  8. Create Frosty Windows for Christmas with Epsom Salt and Beer: To achieve a frosted window effect during Christmas, a mixture of Epsom salt and stale beer can be applied. The dissolved salt creates a frosty appearance when the mixture dries, providing a festive touch to your windows.

These household tricks showcase the versatility of Epsom salt in addressing various challenges, from gardening and home maintenance to skincare and seasonal decorations. The practical application of Epsom salt in these scenarios highlights its efficacy in diverse contexts.

Home and Garden Uses for Epsom Salt (2024)
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