Five Ways to Use Olive Oil (Other Than Cooking)

Although olive oil is great for cooking it has many other purposes. As an essential oil, it’s been used throughout time for reasons that range from skin moisturization to hair care. Below are the five best purposes for olive oil that don’t involve cooking:

Stainless Steel Polisher:
One little known purpose that olive oil has is the power to shine stainless steel. All it takes is just a touch with a piece of cloth. You can either rub a single problem area or go over the entire piece to prevent streaks and tarnish. Just make sure the cloth that you use is clean and free of any dirt or grease that may negatively impact it. It may also help to add water. After rubbing the olive oil & water into the stainless steel object for about 10-15 minutes it should shine like new! Regularly doing this works wonders on stainless steel.

Moisturizer:
The antioxidants present in olive oil make it a relatively good moisturizer. If you have particularly dry skin, you should certainly consider applying olive oil following a shower. Doing this routinely will keep your skin soft and healthy for years to come. To prevent a greasy sensation on your body, try to apply the oil to your body while you’re still damp from your bath or shower. If you apply it right before you dry off, that will allow the oil to set in. Some people also rave about the benefits it brings to the skin before a shave. Consider using olive oil as an after shave if you have irritable skin.

Conditioning Your Hair:
Olive oil is a great tool for getting rid of frizzy hair and fighting off lice. If you or someone in your family is suffering from lice, simply add a little to the hair for about 30-40 minutes. After it’s had some time to soak, you can add shampoo and wash it like usual. Make sure you shampoo at least twice. Combing olive oil through your hair can have multiple benefits. Your hair will not only look good, it will also leave your scalp softer than usual.

Moisturizing & Fixing Door Hinges:
If you’ve been noticing that you have an issue with the door hinges in your home or automobile, you can fix it with just a bit of olive oil. One of the most popular methods is to add the olive oil to a spray bottle, then to hit the problem area with it once or twice. You could also try to use a towel or q-tip to soak the hinge. After you realize how well this method works on those squeaky door hinges, you may not have to use another moisturizer again!

Wooden Furniture Polish:
One of the most common ways to make good use of olive oil is to use it for wooden furniture polish. All you need is about a teaspoon of olive oil. Once the olive oil is added to a soft rag, try to add vinegar to help bolster the cleaning power of the olive oil. Adding citrus juice can provide a nice smell to the area. To get the job done, simply rub the area until you notice the wood starting to look as good as new.