15 Amazing and Unexpected Uses for Mayonnaise

It’s not all that surprising mayonnaise is such an incredibly versatile condiment when you consider what it’s made of: olive oil, egg yolk, lemon and salt. (Here’s a quick recipe for homemade mayo.) Each of those ingredients can enhance the moistness and richness of about any food, and can also do wonders around the house.

Psst… Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the most of your mayo.

Bake a moist chocolate cake

The oil makes any cake more tender, a little extra egg yolk enriches any baked good and the acid in lemon has a way of making the flavor or chocolate pop! Put ’em all together, and you’ve got mayo, which is the secret to this top-rated, super-moist Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake. And you won’t even have to crack an egg!

Make the best grilled cheese ever

When it comes to creating the crispest, tangiest crust on your grilled cheese sandwich, butter is good, but mayo is better. (Find out more in this quick and easy Best Grilled Cheese how-to guide.)

Unstick your grilled fish

Ninety-nine percent of the time, when I fail at cooking fish on my outdoor grill, it’s because the fish sticks to the grates. How to remedy this? Why, mayo, of course. It adheres so nicely to the fish, plus it adds a slightly acidic richness to the end result. Slather an even layer of mayo all over the fish you’re about to grill, and grill away!

Make bread crumbs stick to fish

Regardless of where you’re cooking your fish, ever notice how hard it is to get bread crumbs to adhere to the surface? The solution is simple: mayonnaise. Slather your fish in a thin layer before bread crumbing for best results.

Keep chicken breast moist

Slathering chicken breasts in mayonnaise before cooking will not only tenderize the chicken (thanks to the acid from the lemon) but will also keep your chicken moist while it cooks. The proof is in our delicious Parmesan Chicken!

Perfect your potatoes

Grilled potatoes are great. But grilled potatoes with mayo are even greater because the mayo helps the potatoes retain a bit of moisture while they grill up crusty on the outside. You can toss the cubed potatoes with mayonnaise and seasonings before you put them in a foil packet.

Make Mexican street corn

Did you know that mayonnaise is a key ingredient in Mexican street corn? Make it on the cob…or make it an even easier dish to enjoy with this Mexican Street Corn Bake.

See all our best takes on Mexican street corn!

Remove watermarks from wood

To eliminate watermarks on wood, rub mayo on the mark, let it rest for several hours and wipe. It works because the moisture in the mayo displaces the moisture locked in the wood, effectively unlocking it. And mayo stays moist long enough to do the unlocking (whereas oil would tend to evaporate).

Remove crayon marks

Did a young artist let creativity reign…on your walls? The oils in mayo are perfect for breaking down crayon marks. Simply dab it on, let it sit for a bit and then wipe away.

Wipe away fingerprints on stainless steel

A little mayo on a microfiber cloth does wonders for making fingerprints disappear from your stainless steel appliances.

Check out these other foods (24 of them!) that you didn’t realize could help you clean your home, sans chemicals.

Get chewing gum out of your hair

We won’t ask how it even happened, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster. Simply rub a bit of mayo onto the affected hair, and it will soften up the gum so you can remove it painlessly (and without scissors). Don’t miss these other gum-be-gone solutions,too.

Polish ivory piano keys

This is a real tip, according to music experts Merriam Music. The bacteria present in mayonnaise helps clean your yellowed ivory piano keys gently. Be sure to buff with a dry cloth after cleaning.

Shine up those houseplants

Treat your houseplants right because not only are they aesthetically pleasing, they improve your air quality (especially these houseplants). A microfiber cloth plus a dab of mayo will have them looking polished in no time.

Soothe your sunburn

The oil and egg yolk in mayonnaise and its soothing texture make it a perfect salve for soothing sunburn.

Condition your hair

Rich in fats and proteins, the egg yolk in mayo is naturally moisturizing as well as nourishing. The oil seals in that moisture. Apply to hair like you would any conditioner, let sit for 20 minutes and then rinse and cleanse with a gentle shampoo.