Cost of living: 3 household hacks using salt that can save you up to £2,200

With the cost of living crisis ongoing and a variety of major financial changes set to hit the UK that will further affect costs in April, many are still on the lookout for ways to save money.

The last thing anyone needs at the moment is a household issue that costs hundreds or even thousands of pounds to fix, such as blocked drains or a nasty stint of mould.

With this in mind, experts at PureSalt have devised three money-saving solutions that the average UK family can benefit from using salt. Any kind of salt will work, but even plain old table salt will do - which you can pick up for as low as 55p in supermarkets.

Unblocking sink drains - save up to £150

Over time, food particles will naturally accumulate in the kitchen sink drains, clogging parts of the plumbing system, and causing drainage issues and foul odours. Unblocking a drain can cost on average an estimated £75 to £150 depending on the severity.

But by pouring a mixture of salt and hot water down your kitchen sink now and again, you can eliminate unpleasant smells from your sink and dissolve grease and food remnants that could clog your drain.

Instructions:

1. Boil at least two litres of water using the kettle
2. Once the boiling water has simmered, carefully pour the water into a pot
3. Mix ½ a cup of salt into the hot water
4. Slowly pour the mixture into the drain
5. Allow the solution to sit in the drain for 15 minutes as the mixture works to dissolve the clogs and deodorise the drains
6. Afterwards, run hot water from the tap to flush out any remaining debris down the drain

Prevent coloured clothes from bleeding in the wash - save up to £123

The average family in the UK does between 8-10 loads of laundry a week, often separating colours and whites and leaving only half of the drum empty, which is not very cost-effective. Last year, the washing machine cost £222.77 to run (47p a load).