The solubility of different conventional salts in several room-temperature ionic liquids - containing ammonium, phosphonium or imidazolium cations combined with acetate, sulfate, sulfonate, thiocyanate, chloride, tetracyano-borate, tris(pentafluoroethyl) trifluoro-phosphate, L-lactate, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide or trifluoromethylsulfonate anions - were screened using a visual detection method. The most promising mixtures were then re-measured using an ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infra Red) spectroscopy technique in order to accurately and quantitatively determine the corresponding solubility at 298.15 K. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.