There’s almost nothing we like more than fresh bread dipped in olive oil, and it’s definitely a staple in most of our cooking. But this lovely oil has household uses that reach beyond the kitchen.
1. Clean your cast-iron pans: Make a scrubbing paste with olive or another vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt. Scrub it in with a stiff brush, then rinse with hot water.
2. Get paint off your hands: Rub some oil into your skin, let it sink in for 5 minutes, and then wash thoroughly with soap.
3. Repair scratches on leather furniture: Pour a very small amount of oil onto a cotton cotton cloth and rub it into the scratched leather furniture in a light circular motion.
4. Protect rattan and wicker furniture: To help keep rattan and wicker furniture from cracking, gently rub some warm oil into the furniture with a soft cloth.
5. Shine stainless steel: For extra sparkle, pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff to your heart’s content.
6. Polish wood furniture: Combine 2 cups olive oil with 1 cup lemon juice or vinegar. Work the mixture into the furniture with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice.
Other non-cleaning solutions with olive oil include spraying a bit on squeaky door hinges, and sprucing up your dusty plant leaves.
