# Rubbing salt into a wound **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756 "2013-11-12T22:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/1 "2013-11-12T22:46:43Z")
When literally “rubbing salt into a wound,” how much additional pain does it produce? (If I weren’t such a sissy I’d try it myself.) And is it true that the salt actually speeds up healing by drawing out bacteria? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/2 "2013-11-13T01:41:13Z")
How are we supposed to quantify this? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/3 "2013-11-13T01:57:30Z")
About as much as pouring rubbing alcohol on it, but I think the alcohol feels colder. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/4 "2013-11-13T01:59:52Z")
Salt may kill bacteria, but it also kills your own cells, so it will slow down wound healing. That is, a lot of salt. A little salt, mixed with water in the same ratio as the salt in your body…that’s called saline, and it’s what we use to rinse wounds to clean them. But at that level, it’s not antibacterial. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/5 "2013-11-13T02:00:15Z")
Easiest way to do it is to just swim in the ocean. It may sting a bit, but not too bad. It always seems to make wounds feel better, not sure about actually speeding up healing. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/6 "2013-11-13T05:46:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How are we supposed to quantify this? Anywhere from “stings a little” to “excruciating agony.” ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/7 "2013-11-13T08:12:39Z")
Swimming in the ocean with an open wound does indeed sting, but it’s bearable. I even like it as it feels cleansing. But the question is rubbing salt on a wound which I believe is an idiom derived from rubbing salt into wounds after someone has received a lashing. If I recall correctly, it was done mainly to misbehaving sailors. Punishment could sometimes be the lash and salt. I would say that rubbing it into a fresh lash wound would be excruciating. And since it was meant as punishment and torture, it was meant to be painful. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/8 "2013-11-13T11:35:54Z")
I’ve had a bit of salty grit imbedded into scrapes and cuts and they tended to hurt and KEEP hurting for a long time. It’s like a pain that you just never quite get “used” to, in my experience. In short, it’s a punishment I wouldn’t wish on anyone and is extremely cruel and inhumane. So way more than just “mild stinging.” ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/9 "2013-11-13T17:15:39Z")
> [@NiceGuyJack](#): > > Swimming in the ocean with an open wound does indeed sting, but it’s bearable. I even like it as it feels cleansing. Floating in the Dead Sea with an open wound, though… ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/10 "2013-11-13T18:19:34Z")
I’ve done it to myself to make friends squirm (I’ve also squeezed lemons into cuts for the same purpose). I’m a giver in that regard It hurts. But remotely incapacitatingly (though I’ve never done it to a really big wound or anything). ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/11 "2013-11-13T19:37:36Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Floating in the Dead Sea with an open wound, though… Ouch!!! I got a very very tiny splash in my eye once. Not fun. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/12 "2013-11-13T19:45:56Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Ouch!!! > I got a very very tiny splash in my eye once. Not fun. Onan, is that you? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/13 "2013-11-13T20:19:40Z")
> [@SmartAlecCat](#): > > Easiest way to do it is to just swim in the ocean. It may sting a bit, but not too bad. It always seems to make wounds feel better, not sure about actually speeding up healing. Well I’m at the beach and just cut myself, so let me head into the ocean and check this out right now…yes, definitely a little stinging sensation…but kinda soothing now…that’s weird, something just brushed up against ajkljhksdgjkhsdklj jdmb cv ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rubbing-salt-into-a-wound/673756/14 "2013-11-13T20:40:06Z")
Salt on a cut stings no question but for even more fun try salt and lemon.