More than just a seasoning, salt could be the surprisingly spiritual tool your home needs, experts say
This pantry staple is for more than just your dinner table


Salt (yes, the very thing you sprinkle on your fries) is secretly one of the best home energy cleansers, according to spiritualists.
Using salt may even be more powerful than creating good Feng Shui in your home. You may be more familiar with the practice of cleansing your home with sage, but salt has also long been used to shake off bad energy.
We have spoken to experts to hear how they use it to purify homes.
Cleansing a home with salt
Salt has been used in Shintoism, an ancient religion of Japan for centuries, and Buddhists have also used salt to repel evil. Even modern depictions of ghost stories rely on salt to ward off unwanted spirits.
Salt is also one of the easiest tools for a Feng Shui home energy cleanse, given that we all already have it in our kitchen pantries, Tammy Mastroberte, spiritualist and bestselling author of The Universe is Talking to You, available at Amazon tells us. As a mineral, it is thought to ‘absorb negative or unwanted energy when placed with intention around the home.’ It is, therefore, ‘important to periodically cleanse the energies,’ she says.

Tammy Mastroberte is a spiritualist and author of The Universe Is Talking to You with the aim of guiding others on the topic of how to uncover and understand signs and synchronicities in everyday life.
Why salt is used to cleanse homes
If you are new to the meaning of Feng Shui or any home cleansing rituals, then you may be wondering just how the most basic of pantry staples could have any impact on a space. As it turns out, using salt to cleanse houses is as old as our ‘mundane’ uses for salt in our food, says Andrea Donnelly, spiritual mentor, quantum sound & energy healer, and the CEO of We Are Here 2 Remember.
‘Salt has been used to cleanse our bodies and homes for eons,’ she shares. ‘If you think about how good it feels to take a dip in the ocean, it makes sense that we use salt to purify our homes with it too.
'Purifying your space with salt is a powerful way to restore energetic alignment and remove energy that does not resonate, feels stagnant, or falls into the category of "bad vibes."’

Andrea Donnelly is a mentor with a PhD in healing studies. She specalizes in energy work, flower essences, herbal medicine, and sound healing, helping high achievers heal trauma and find peace and purpose.
How to cleanse a home with salt
You can place small bowls of salt in the center and in corners of a room to provide a cleansing effect, plus there are a few alternative methods that use a little less salt.
1. Use a salt spray
Salt sprays are for more than just your hair care routine. These simple sprays could be used to cleanse your home as well, suggests spiritualist Tammy Mastroberte.
Spraying a salt spray around the home as you would a home fragrance can help to offer a quick cleanse without the need to use too much salt, given that salt used in bowls for cleansing is not suitable to then be used for cooking.
Wood sage and sea salt room spray | $16.99 at Etsy
Made with real sea salt, this luxury linen and room spray is perfect for freshening up your home's scent and energy.
2. Set salt across thresholds
A lot of energy practices focus on your home's thresholds, for example, blowing cinnamon on a front door, to help keep negative energy out and positive energy in, explains Tammy Mastroberte, spiritualist and author.
‘When placing salt in this way around the home, it's best to set the intention of cleansing and clearing any negative energy or energy that is not beneficial to those living in the home, and then leaving it for at least 24 hours works its magic.
It can then be disposed of in your trash, Tammy says, if you use Epsom salt, at Amazon you could add them to your soil to fertilize plants with salts.
3. Consider a salt lamp
If laying out piles of salt crystals will not work in your home, say if you have pets or young children, then a salt lamp is the ideal alternative for regular cleansing with no waste.
These lamps also ‘double as a source of ambiance and a natural purifier,’ adds Andrea Donnelly, a spiritual mentor. ‘They are known to produce negatively charged ions, improve air quality, deodorize, increase energy levels, and improve your mood.’
Large Natural Salt Lamp | From $59.95 at Etsy
These natural salt lamps add a calming pink hue to any space while also offering relaxing health benefits. This lamp also comes fitted with a dimmer, making it perfect for layering lighting.
Selecting the right salt for cleansing
When it comes to cleansing a house with salt, the type you use matters very little so long as you use it with intention, Tammy Mastroberte assures. However, although agreeing that table salt can be used if you have it on hand, spiritual mentor Andrea Donnelly suggests that some salts have slightly different effects
Pink salt such as Himalayan rock salt is through to ‘raise vibrations; and ‘add a little burst of love’ to your rituals, while black salts like Himalayan black salt or black lava salt could be more apt for ‘warding off negative energies’ and offering ‘protection’.
Herbion Himalayan Pink Salt | $14.49 at Walmart
This large container of pink salt is perfect for both your pantry and cleansing your home.
FAQs
Is it good to clean your house with salt water?
If you are looking to refresh your home's energy, then it is a good idea to clean your home with salt water. Cleaning surfaces once a week with a mild salt water solution made of one teaspoon of salt in a cup or two of water can help to remove bad energy and even be a mild antibacterial for general household use.
Can salt damage a house?
Salt can be corrosive, but it is unlikely to damage your home in small quantities. You should always avoid using salt water on metal surfaces, however, as it hastens the rusting process which can be difficult to reverse.
Salt is incredibly versatile, from raising the vibrations of your home to adding flavor to your dinner – it is certainly a pantry staple that shouldn’t be underestimated.
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Chiana has been at Homes & Gardens for two years and is our resident 'queen' of non-toxic living. She spends most of her time producing content for the Solved section of the website, helping readers get the most out of their homes through clever decluttering, cleaning, and tidying tips. She was named one of Fixr's top home improvement journalists in 2024.
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