Most are aware of Epsom salt’s ability to soothe sore muscles. The compound itself is magnesium sulfate, a naturally occurring mineral. But while Epsom salt has become a staple in medicine cabinets, it’s also earned a reputation as a cure-all for everything from dirty grout to struggling tomato plants.  Some of those uses are grounded in science, while others are little more than persistent household myths. Before you sprinkle Epsom salt on your garden or mix it into a DIY cleaning solution, here’s what it is actually good for and where you should skip it altogether. Ways to use Epsom salt around the house 1. Soak away sore muscles Epsom salt’s reputation as a post-workout recovery aid comes from its magnesium content. Magnesium plays a key role in muscle contraction, energy production, and recovery.  Intense exercise can temporarily deplete the body’s magnesium stores.  A 2024 study found that magnesium soaks after a workout reduced muscle soreness, improved recovery, and provided protective effects against exercise-related muscle damage. To use Epsom salt safely post-workout, dissolve 1 to 2 cups in a warm bath and soak for about 15 to 20 minutes. While an Epsom salt soak is generally considered safe for most people, you should always consult your doctor before using any supplement regularly. 2. Create a mild scouring scrub Epsom salt works as a gentle abrasive because its crystals are coarse enough to scrub without scratching surfaces. This property makes it a great alternative to steel wool or other abrasive cleaners.  To use, mix it with dish soap or a gentle liquid cleaner to create a paste, then scrub baked-on food residue in pots and pans, grout lines between tiles, soap scum on tubs and shower walls, or dirt and mildew on plastic and metal outdoor furniture.  3. Exfoliate rough skin Epsom salt isn’t just useful to scrub pots and pans; it can also help smooth rough, dry skin. Research has found that Epsom salt can help remove dead skin cells and improve skin texture when used as an exfoliant. It’s naturally abrasive enough to buff away dead skin cells, yet gentle enough to use on areas like your hands, feet, and elbows.  Skin experts suggest mixing Epsom salt with a small amount of water or a nourishing oil, such as coconut or olive oil, to create an easy DIY exfoliating scrub. For best results, exfoliate gently and follow with a moisturizer to help lock in hydration. 4. Use in crafts and décor Epsom salt is perfect for crafting! Its crystals are easy to work with and create a frosted, glittery texture that crafters use to dress up mason jars, candle holders, and seasonal centerpieces. An easy way to frost a glass surface is to brush it with a thin layer of craft glue, roll it in dry Epsom salt, and let it dry completely. The result resembles ice or snow, making it a popular choice for winter and holiday décor.  Ways You Definitely Shouldn’t Use Epsom Salt 1. As a miracle garden fertilizer Social media has turned Epsom salt into a gardening cure-all, with viral posts promising lusher tomatoes, bigger blooms, and faster growth. The science doesn’t back it up. Epsom salt supplies magnesium and sulfur, nothing more. And, most garden soil already contains sufficient magnesium, especially when amended with organic matter.  What plants need to grow and thrive are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the core nutrients that true fertilizers provide. Epsom salt delivers none of those. Correcting a magnesium deficiency and fertilizing a plant are two different jobs: the first fixes a specific problem, the second feeds the plant. Save the Epsom salt for the rare case when a soil test confirms a deficiency, and reach for a real fertilizer when your garden needs feeding. 2. To prevent blossom end rot Blossom end rot is the dark, sunken patch that appears on the bottom of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. There are online claims that suggest crushed eggshells and Epsom salts will help cure this common garden issue. However, blossom end rot signals a calcium deficiency, and that deficiency is a water transport problem in the plant. Epsom salt not only fails to fix it but can also make it worse. Excess magnesium in the soil blocks calcium uptake, worsening the deficiency that caused the rot. To prevent blossom-end rot, keep soil evenly moist, protect roots from damage, and let a soil test guide fertilizer decisions. 3. As a pest repellent Gardening blogs and social media accounts frequently recommend spraying Epsom salt solutions on roses and vegetables to repel slugs, insects, and other garden pests. According to Washington State University Extension, there is no scientific evidence to substantiate claims that Epsom salt controls any pest species. Worse, the most common application method, spraying Epsom salt solution directly on foliage, can cause leaf scorch, meaning you may end up harming your plants while doing nothing to the pests. 4. As a weed killer Homemade weed killer recipes combining Epsom salt, vinegar, and dish soap have also spread across social media as a cheap, natural alternative to commercial herbicides. However, they don’t always work as advertised. You can apply enough to damage weeds, but that concentration comes with two serious drawbacks: the cost exceeds that of a conventional weed product, and the amount needed to harm weeds will poison the soil for other plants and soil life. If weeds are the problem, manual removal, mulch, and weed barriers are safer first steps; if you want a chemical solution, a product designed for that purpose will cost less and cause less collateral damage. 5. As a household disinfectant Epsom salt is only magnesium sulfate. This compound does not kill bacteria, viruses, or fungi, which means no amount of Epsom salt, however concentrated, will disinfect a surface. Disinfectants work by chemically destroying pathogens, and Epsom salt simply lacks the properties to do that.  For actual disinfection, reach for products that carry an EPA registration number, such as bleach solutions, hydrogen peroxide, and isopropyl alcohol, which are all inexpensive, widely available, and proven to kill germs. 6. To melt ice on driveways Every winter, the same tip resurfaces on social media: sprinkle Epsom salt on icy driveways and walkways to melt the ice safely. The appeal is understandable;  Epsom salt is cheap, widely available, and feels less harsh than rock salt. The problem is that it barely works. Like all salts, magnesium sulfate does lower the freezing point of water, but it does so far less effectively than rock salt or commercial de-icers, which rely on sodium chloride, calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride, compounds specifically chosen for their ability to melt ice quickly at low temperatures.  7. As a universal cleaning solution Epsom salt is a useful tool when the job calls for mild abrasion, but reaching for it as a catch-all cleaner means doing half the job. What it cannot do is clean in any chemical sense. It won’t break down grease, lift stains, or kill germs. As noted earlier, neither magnesium nor sulfate has no antibacterial or antiviral properties, so using Epsom salt as a general-purpose cleaner leaves surfaces physically scrubbed but chemically untreated.  The post 4 Epsom salt uses around the house (and 7 ways to never use it) appeared first on Popular Science. ...read more read less