Food is preserved in cans made of tin-plated steel and prepared in stainless steel cookware. Halite, or salt, is used for seasoning. Tables are set with stainless steel cutlery and plates made from a number of different clays. Building a house would be out of the question without the tools and components made possible by mining. Clays are used to manufacture bricks and tiles.
Copper pipes carry water throughout the house.
Gypsum is used in drywall. Barium, manganese, titanium pigments and talc are used to manufacture paint. Linoleum contains calcium carbonate. Lime is used in making carpets. Windows contain silica.