Why People Put A Bowl Of Salt By Their Windows In The Winter

Between seasoning your hearty holiday dishes and making icy paths safe to walk, salt has a big role to play during the wintertime. But it's not all about cooking and de-icing. If you've ever noticed a bowl of salt resting on your neighbors' windowsill, you probably wondered why it was there. Well, the short answer is that many people use bowls of salt in the winter to reduce the condensation on their windows.

On the surface, this long-standing tradition might sound like an old myth or too simple to be true. However, because salt boasts natural moisture-absorbing properties, the concept really does make sense. In fact, the old salt bowl on the windowsill trick is commonly suggested and used in the U.K., where window condensation is a normal occurrence. 

Considering that you can pick up a 26-ounce-box of table salt for less than a dollar, there's no harm in giving this old tradition a try. Besides, when dealing with condensation, it's not just looks you need to be concerned about. Prolonged moisture in your windows can lead to more serious issues for your home, including mold and mildew growth.

Before trying to stop condensation on your windows, it can be helpful to know what causes this annoying moisture buildup in the first place. Typically occurring during the colder months, condensation happens when moist indoor air comes in contact with cold glass windows, leaving behind a collection of water droplets on the inside of your window that may freeze. When you place a small bowl of salt on the windowsill, the idea is that it will draw moisture from the air, leading to less condensation on the windows. You can tell if the trick worked by first observing the state of your windows to see if there is less condensation. You can also observe the salt itself. After a few days, if the salt is doing its job, it should become clumpy from the moisture and will be ready to be replaced with fresh salt.

Essentially, the salt bowl is a DIY way to dehumidify a room without a dehumidifier. Although there is no hard scientific evidence proving that a bowl of salt is the end-all, be-all cure to your window condensation woes, many cleaning experts suggest that the method is, at least, mildly effective — and with the low cost of salt, it's worth a go. That said, if the window condensation issues persist, you may need to take more extreme measures to resolve the problem before more serious damage occurs — like contacting a home repair professional or making sure your windows have good seals.