Other Uses For Water Softener Salt.

There are plenty of uses for water softener salt other than putting it in your water softener. If you have bags of water softener salt that you don’t need anymore because you have changed over to a water supply that doesn’t require softening. Or maybe you have a bag that just broke open and you don’t want to use it in your water softener, here are some uses for that leftover salt.

Some other uses for water softener salt. It can be used to melt ice and snow from your driveway or walkway, it works as a great weed and grass eliminator for your garden, you can even use it to make ice cream. Yes, I said ice cream.

Salt has several characteristics that make it very useful to us.

By adding salt to the water, you will lower the freezing temperature of the water. Salt is a dehydrator, consuming salt water will cause dehydration rather than quenching your thirst.

Just these two properties of salt make it an effective substance that you can use for many things that you may not have thought of.

Salt is one of the most plentiful minerals on the planet. So naturally, we as a species have developed many uses for salt and its effects on the world around us.

Our bodies need salt on a regular basis just to survive. So there must be several ways for us to utilize salt around the home to make our lives easier and more productive.

Yep, I’m talking about using that big bag of water softener salt that you have to lug in for your water softener.

Well if you need to get it anyway, why not find other uses for it. Well here are some great and effective uses for that water softener salt that will hopefully make your life a bit easier and maybe even a little happier.

Is rock salt and water softener salt the same?

This is a great question, and the answer is yes and no. The water softener salt that you buy to put in your water softeners brine tank is nothing more than salt that has been mined from the earth, just like the rock salt that you buy to melt ice.

So why is the answer also no?

The biggest difference between water softener salt and rock salt is simply the purity of it. You do not want salt that has bits of dirt or rocks in it running through your water softener.

Any debris that is introduced into your water treatment system can cause problems such as clogging of screens and injectors and getting into your water softeners resin bed.

When the salt has been mined from the earth, it has plenty of dirt and debris mixed in with it.

When the salt is intended for use in water softeners, it is sifted, and ground down to an ideal crystal size for use in a water softening system. It is then rinsed to remove most of the impurities that have been removed from the ground along with it.

This brings the salt to a purity level of about 99% pure, meaning that it is nearly pure salt.

Rock salt that is used to melt ice is not nearly as pure. Rock salt is not sifted and refined down to as small a crystal as water softening salt, so there will be lots of debris still lodged in the salt itself. Rock salt is also not rinsed as well as water softening salt, so there will be much more regular dirt mixed in with it.

None of these impurities that are found in regular rock salt are considered to be acceptable for use in a water treatment system as they will cause many internal problems with the system.

Rock salt is commonly rated to be about 95 % pure. This may sound quite good, but in reality, this level of salt purity is not sufficient for use in any water treatment system.

You have probably wondered why you see different colored bags of water softener salt when you go to the store to get your salt. This is because water softener salt can be in the form of crystals or pellets and some have additives mixed in with them, like iron removal powder.

Water softener crystals without any additives in it (usually in a blue or blue and white bag) may be used for other uses. But if there are any additives in it or it is in pellet form, I highly recommend that you only use it for your water softener as it was originally intended for.

Can I use water softener salt on my driveway?

You absolutely can use water softening salt on your driveway to melt ice and snow. But you should never use rock salt meant for ice and snow in your water softener.

Spreading salt over ice will make the freezing temperature of the water lower and therefore the ice will turn back into the water. So using water softener salt which is purer than regular rock salt will actually work better at melting ice than ice melt salt.

Using any salt on your driveway will help to melt ice and snow, but the ice that has melted can re-freeze again. This re-freezing can cause ice that can be even more dangerous than the original ice as it may re-freeze smoother and more solid as the temperature drops.

Also when the ice melts, it will tend to settle inside cracks and smell holes in your paved driveway. When water freezes, it expands.

When water gets into a small crack and then freezes, it will expand and can cause the crack to get bigger. So when using any salt on your driveway, it is highly advisable to use it sparingly to prevent the water from re-freezing.

Also, using water softener salt that is in the form of pellets will cause uneven melting of the ice which can make it more uneven to walk on and therefore more dangerous. So only use salt when and where it is necessary and don’t overdo it.

Can I use water softener salt on my walkway?

Yes. But when you are using any salt on a walkway, stairs or deck, be sure to be aware of any plants, flowers or anything that could be harmed by salty water. Even small trees can be affected by a large dose of saltwater.

Remember that all of the salt that you are spreading on the ground will eventually be dissolved and seep into the ground.

Using water softener salt on a walkway can sometimes be better than other ice melts.

Many ice melting products are considered to be environmentally safe or safe for plants and grass. But what if you have a problem with grass and weeds growing between the pavers that make up your walkway.

Using water softening salt will work very well for melting the ice and snow on your walkway, and the salt that seeps in between the pavers can inhibit the growth of pesky weeds and grass that tend to sprout up.

I don’t recommend using an excessive amount of water softener salt on your walkway with the intent of fighting the growth of weeds when spring arrives. But if weeds are an issue, using salt can dehydrate the weeds’ roots and therefore inhibit the growth of the weed.

Can I use water softener salt to kill grass and weeds?

Water softener salt works great for eliminating weeds and unwanted grass or plants. It works so well that you have to be very careful that you don’t get it anywhere near any grass or plants that you don’t want to harm.

For typical weed removal, sprinkle some water softener salt around the base of the weed or throughout the section of weeds to be eliminated. When sprinkling the salt, be sure to sprinkle it close to the ground to prevent salt crystals from bouncing to areas that you want to protect.

Next, add some dissolved salt solution to get the process going.

For large patches of weeds, combine one cup of water softener salt to one gallon of hot water and carefully pour over the weed patch.

For individual weeds or small target weed patches, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and a small handful of water softener salt. Spray solution directly on the weeds and at the base of the weeds where you have sprinkled the rock salt.

After a day or so, you should see a noticeable change in the weeds appearance. Re-apply salt solution every few days until the weeds are gone and they should stay gone for several months if not a year.