The useful way to think about salt is as a simple supplemental cleaning ingredient, not a miracle plumbing treatment.
What Salt Can Actually Do
There are a few reasons this old-fashioned ingredient gets mentioned in household cleaning.
It Can Provide Gentle Abrasion
Salt crystals have a slightly gritty texture.
That means they can provide mild mechanical scrubbing when combined with an appropriate cleaning method.
Think of it as a little extra texture rather than a powerful chemical cleaner.