There are many common uses of rock salt. From road gritting to cooking and skin care. Find out about the various ways that rock salt is used below.

Rock Salt Uses

De-icing

Halite and other types of salt can melt ice, as it has a lower freezing point than pure water. This makes it an amazing tool for de-icing. It can be used to spread on the road surface, your drive and pavements to melt the ice or snow, and prevent skidding.

Road Gritting

Rock Salt is also used for gritting the roads in the bad winter weathers when freezing temperatures are forecasted. This provides grip on slippery road surfaces and melts the ice.

Weed Killing / Health

Rock salt is an excellent weed killer when mixed with water and also has many health, body and beauty perks, such as skincare, gum treatment, fighting infection and reducing swelling and inflammation.

Cooking

Rock salt, as well as table salt, can be used in your cooking to enhance the flavours, but you must check the label as sometimes the salt may not be edible due to the impurities it contains from the mining stage of the process.

Cleaning

Rock salt can be used as a good cleaning agent for getting hard stains and grease off pans, just put some on the pan and rub with a sponge. If your oven is mucky, sprinkle some rock salt onto it whilst it's still hot. When the oven has cooked down, use a sponge to rub it off, and you'll have a clean oven.

Crystals

In some cases, halite forms uniquely shaped crystals that can become of interest to collectors. There is a form of halite known as a hopper crystal, which is basically the skeleton of the crystal.

Some of these halite crystals can be very aesthetically pleasing and popular, as they have been turned a pink colour due to bacteria and other impurities.

Some sellers go all the way and create extravagant objects using the crystallisation idea, by placing boring and plain items into the lakes until the evaporation process takes place. When they retrieve these items, they are coated with white and pink halite crystals.

Other

Rock salt is also useful to the chemical industry for the use of making chemicals such as:

• Sodium hydroxide
• Hydrochloric acid
• Chlorine
• Metallic sodium

Rock salt can also be used to manufacture rubber and separate it from latex, used for agricultural purposes, used in the soap making process, used as an alternative to chlorine in the paper industry and used for making table salt.

Uses of brown rock salt

Brown rock salt is used to spread on roads to prevent dangerous driving, and slipping whilst walking. It can be spread in places such as schools, hospitals, car parks and playgrounds. Because of its low cost, due to it being easy to get hold of, it's affordable for larger business' and ground workers that need to de-ice large areas.

Uses of white rock salt

This is also used for road gritting and de-icing. It leaves no trace of residue and dissolves rapidly, so it can be used in gardens, your drive, parks and pavements near your house.

Himalayan salt

Hundreds of millions of years ago, the sea salt that is now in the Himalayas, were covered with snow, ice and volcanic lava. The crystals were so protected, by being covered, that they were shielded from pollution. Because of this, Himalayan Pink Salt stayed completely pure, making it the purest salt on earth.

Himalayan Salt is mined, without the use of any machinery, from the Himalayan Mountains.

As it's so pure, it has many hidden health benefits, as it contains many mineral traces such as sulphate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, bromide, borate, strontium, and fluoride.

The hidden health benefits are:

• Relaxing Bath For Detoxing
• Salt Light
• Good For Muscles - Prevents Muscle Cramping
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Oil Diffuser
• Stabilises Ph Balance In Cells
• Increases Hydration
• Reduces Asthma Symptoms
• Strengthens Bones
• Air Purification
• Energy Boost
• Regulates The Water Content Of Cells

Telford Contracting Ltd offers a grit salt delivery service for customers throughout north Scotland. If you need rock salt supply in Aberdeen, Dundee or Peterhead, contact us today.