Olive oil is one of those indispensable
kitchen ingredients you always have at home. Apart from being probably
the healthiest cooking oil you could eat and an excellent beauty and
self-care product, olive oil can be put to use as a conditioning agent
for wood, a plant fertilizer, and silverware polish. Realize the full
potential of this wonderful household ingredient with these 10 excellent
tips!
1. Condition leather items with olive oil
If your leather bag or furniture looks a
bit worn, and you don’t have a dedicated leather conditioner on hand, no
worries. Just dap a few drops of olive oil on a clean cloth and buff it
into the leather, focusing on the areas with the most wear and tear.
Olive oil is a great conditioning agent, and it will turn leather soft
and supple again.
2. Season stainless steel cookware
Seasoning metal kitchenware is the best way to protect it from
scratches, water damage, tarnish, and rust. You should season your
baking sheets, pots, and pans a few times a year by heating up a little
bit of oil in a clean pan and letting it cool off 2-3 times. This
creates a protective coating over the kitchenware. To maintain the
results, take few drops of olive oil and rub the oil onto the surface of
a clean and dry stainless steel item with a soft cloth. Repeat once a
month or so.
3. Remove a tight ring
If a ring you just tried on is too small and tight, so much so that you
can’t remove it, coating the finger in a smidge of olive oil can
lubricate the ring and free it up right away. Using a cloth will help
you hold onto the ring and slowly slide it off of your finger.
4. Loosen up a stuck zipper
Soak a cotton swab in a tiny bit of olive
oil and then rub the oil on the teeth of the zipper on both sides. This
should loosen up a stuck zipper, and you’ll be able to slowly move it
and ultimately pull it down completely.
5. Remove a sticker or label
This trick works for solid surfaces, but we wouldn’t try it on paper or
fabrics because it causes staining. Dab a few drops of olive oil on the
sticker you want to remove and let it sit on the label for 15 minutes or
so. Then, just remove the sticker by hand or using a cloth, and remove
any oil residue from the surface with a cloth.
6. Repair worn cutting boards
Wooden salad bowls, spoons, and cutting
boards are more susceptible to water damage, scratches, and even mold
growth than any other material. For this reason, you should clean and
protect them regularly to extend the life of wooden kitchen utensils.
Coating wooden kitchenware with a little olive oil by carefully rubbing
it into the wood with a paper towel will nourish and protect the wood.
It also prevents cracking and will make the wood look shinier and
brighter in color.
7. Polish silverware
Olive oil may not be able to take off any tarnish from silverware, but
it can enhance the look of freshly-cleaned silverware and slow down the
oxidative processes that cause tarnish, to begin with. Just rub a little
oil into the silverware with a soft cloth, and your eating utensils
will stay nice and shiny for much longer.
8. Remove drink rings and minor scratches from furniture
Wooden furniture is especially prone to those pesky drink rings. If
you’re not careful and forget to use a coaster, these unsightly rings
can ruin the look of your table or wooden counter. If you don’t have
wood polish at home and need to remove minor scratches or drink rings
immediately, you can make your own: in a spray bottle, mix together ¼
cup of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons of
vinegar. Shake before use and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
9. Olive oil makes a great fertilizer
If you notice that your olive oil is getting rancid or is just old,
don’t throw it away. Certain plants, such as palms and ferns, love olive
oil as a fertilizer. Just add 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your
watering can once a month and water the plants as usual.
10. Get paint off your hands and nails
Any DIY or home repair project that involves paint can leave stains on
your hands and nails. Rubbing a little oil into your skin can loosen up
any stuck bits of paint and makes washing your hands clean with soap
much easier.