That viral TikTok about putting rice in salt shakers got me last week

I saw this video claiming if you put a few grains of uncooked rice in your salt shaker it keeps the salt from clumping. Tried it myself with my shaker from the diner on Main Street. After 3 days the salt was coming out fine but little rice bits were getting through the holes. Anyone else test this and have it actually work without the rice sneaking through?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_ramirez14h ago

Did my buddy Mike ruin his shaker with rice bits stuck in the holes?

wells.christopher14h ago

Haha, "ruin" is a strong word. I think Mike's shaker is probably fine, but that little "stuck bits" part got me thinking. You gotta remember those little metal holes are pretty tough, they're not gonna get warped or anything from a few rice grains getting wedged in there. Real problem is if they're just sitting in there dried out and crusty, you might get a funky smell or a clog that won't shake out easily. Soak it in some hot water with a drop of soap overnight, then use a toothpick to poke each hole out from the inside. I bet it'll work like new.

jordan_henderson1313h ago

Feel for you buddy, Mike probably didn't mean to wreck his shaker like that. I had the same issue with my own salt shaker after trying that rice trick. The rice bits just kept falling through the holes, drove me crazy shaking salt all over the place. Had to soak mine in hot water and poke out every single hole with a toothpick before it worked right again. Totally get why you're worried about permanent damage, but like that other person said, a good overnight soak usually does the trick. Hope Mike's shaker gets back to normal soon, it's annoying when a simple fix turns into a bigger mess.