10 Surprising Ways You Can Use Olive Oil Around the House

Shutterstock / LarsZ

Polish the furniture

Sure olive oil makes a wonderful dip for bread and even makes these cookies taste amazing. But did you know it makes a wonderful furniture polish? Simply apply it with a soft rag. To make it smell less like olive oil, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Shutterstock / kai keisuke

Make cleaning measuring cups easy

Making a pecan pie? It’s really not that difficult…except for the cleanup, especially when it comes to getting the corn syrup, honey or molasses out of the measuring cup. But you can avoid that annoyance by rubbing olive oil into the measuring cup before filling it with a sticky ingredient. It’ll slide right out and cleanup will be easy!

Shutterstock / Purino

Free a stuck zipper

Got your zipper stuck halfway? No worries: Olive oil has your back. Simply apply a dab of it with a cotton swab to the teeth of your zipper. The gently ease your zipper into the direction you want it go.

tab62/Shutterstock

Shine stainless steel and brass

Apply olive oil to stainless steal or brass using a clean rag. It not only brings the shine but also prevents streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.

Shutterstock / K_E_N

Remove paint from your skin

DIY painting can save you money, but afterwards, how are you supposed to get the paint off your skin without rubbing it raw? Easy: Rub on a dab of olive oil like you would lotion, let it soak for a few minutes, then rinse with soap and water.

Shutterstock / Artsiom Kuchynski

Fix a creaky door hinge

Olive oil is a lubricant, after all, so it only stands to reason that applying it to an annoyingly squeaky door hinge can quiet the creakiness.

If your cupboard doors need a fresh coat of paint, follow these tips.

Shutterstock / PopTika

Polish your shoes

Shoe polish smells terrible. Olive oil smells like…olive oil. And it doesn’t stain your hands. So what better way to shine your shoes than to spray a bit of olive oil on them and buff to a high shine?

Hey, here are some really good reasons not to allow shoes in the house.

Shutterstock / Aggie 11

Clean your garden tools

A bit of olive oil applied to your garden tools before digging into the dirt can cut down on dirt buildup. It can also help prevent rust and corrosion. Here are some great recipes that’ll use up all your fresh-picked produce later on.

Shutterstock / AXL

Condition leather

Rub olive oil into your leather chair or your baseball glove, let it sit for 30 minutes and then wipe away the excess. Your leather will be grateful.

If you’re thinking about fruit leather right about now, join the club. Here’s a great recipe for apricot leather.

Shutterstock / Fecundap stock

Remove gum

Got gum in your hair? We hope not! If you do get into this sticky situation, just grab your olive oil. Soak some into a washcloth, wrap it around the gummy hair and let it sit for 10 minutes. The gum will break down and literally slip right off your hair.

Here are tricks for getting gum off just about everything else.