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17 Brilliant Uses for Vegetable Oil That Go Beyond Cooking! Save Time and Money With These Hacks
22 days ago
We all have at least one bottle of vegetable oil sitting in our kitchen cupboard. And while it's a cooking staple, the low-cost oil can be used for more than just baking your favorite cake or frying up some breaded chicken cutlets. In fact, vegetable oil can also be used in a pinch to solve a multitude of issues around the house — from removing stickers from glass to making hair shine. Keep scrolling to discover all of the genius uses for vegetable oil!
1. Uses for vegetable oil: Spoon out sticky ingredients
Baking homemade cookies can be tricky when dealing with ingredients like honey or peanut butter that stick to the spoon. The fix: Apply a small amount of vegetable oil to a paper towel and rub it on the spoon or measuring cup before adding the honey or peanut butter. The oil creates a slick surface that helps the sticky ingredient slide right off.
2. Uses for vegetable oil: Unstick stubborn oven racks
Your oven has seen better days, so you ran the self-cleaning feature to get it sparkling. The problem? Now your oven racks won’t move without some serious tugging. To help them glide smoothly, remove the racks, wipe them down with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil and replace. The slick oil will lubricate the tracks so you can pull out the racks without a hitch.
3. Uses for vegetable oil: Painlessly take out a splinter
The simple trick to getting a splinter out without the ouch : Soak the area with the splinter in vegetable oil for approximately 5 minutes. This will help soften the skin, making it easier to extract the splinter so you don’t experience any discomfort. Ahh!
4. Uses for vegetable oil: Stop Whiskers’ hair balls
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Tired of encountering your cat’s unsightly hair balls around your home? Try this homemade remedy: Incorporate 1 tsp. of vegetable oil into your cat’s food once a week. The neutral-tasting oil will aid in lubricating your cat’s digestive tract, facilitating the smooth passage of ingested hair and preventing the formation of hair balls.
Trouble opening your sliding patio door? The track may be clogged with gunk. The fix: “Lift debris out of the track using the hose attachment on your vacuum,” says Docia Boylen , owner of HandymanConnection.com . Then add 1 part vegetable oil and 3 parts water to a spray bottle and spritz the track. The oil dissolves any stuck-on dirt fast and helps the door slide with ease.
6. Uses for vegetable oil: Reduce hangnails fast
Cuticles parched and peeling? Moisturize them with a DIY soak: Warm ¼ cup of vegetable oil in the microwave until comfortably warm. Soak fingertips in the oil for 15 minutes. The oil’s deep moisturizing properties will soften cuticles so they remain intact.
7. Uses for vegetable oil: Peel off price tags with ease
If you’re struggling to remove the sticky price sticker from your new mug, try this: Dab a paper towel in vegetable oil and gently rub it over the adhesive residue. The oil will dissolve the adhesive bonds, allowing you to peel the sticker off in seconds.
To see this trick in action, watch the video below!
8. Uses for vegetable oil: Preserve the flavor of cooking wine
When you have some leftover cooking wine that you’d like to save for a future recipe, reach for vegetable oil to maintain its quality. Just add 1 tsp. of vegetable oil to the bottle before storing it in the refrigerator. The oil will create a protective barrier on top of the liquid, warding off any oxidation and helping to preserve the wine’s flavor. Problem solved!
9. Uses for vegetable oil: Silence squeaky hinges
Argh! Your bedroom door squeaks anytime someone opens or closes it, and it’s driving you crazy! Vegetable oil can help. Just use a cloth to rub a small amount of the oil directly onto the hinge, then move the door back and forth to work the oil in. The oil’s moisturizing properties will eliminate the annoying sounds and ensure smooth movement. That’s better!
10. Uses for vegetable oil: Separate stuck glasses
You pull your favorite drinking glasses out of the cupboard only to find they’re stuck together. To the rescue: vegetable oil! First, apply a small amount of oil around the rim of the bottom glass. After letting it sit for 15 minutes, gently wiggle the glasses to separate them. The slippery oil will create a smooth surface between the glasses, enabling them to safely come apart.
11. Uses for vegetable oil: Effortlessly remove paint from skin
diego_cervo/Getty
After enjoying a fun paint-and-sip night with friends, you notice spots of oil-based paint on your skin. A quick solution: Apply a drop of vegetable oil to the areas of skin covered in paint and gently rub with a damp sponge. The oil will break down the paint pigments, making it easy to just rinse them away with water. Voilà!
12. Uses for vegetable oil: Revitalize dull leather shoes
After walking outside on a particularly muddy day, your favorite leather boots are looking a bit shabby. To restore them for pennies, wipe off any dirt with a wet cloth, then pour a drop of vegetable oil on a dry cloth and rub over the shoes. The oil will condition the leather so it looks like new.
13. Uses for vegetable oil: Make it a cinch to swallow large pills
You’re ready to try a new brand of vitamins that got great reviews, but you didn’t realize just how huge the pills are! If you find that you’re having trouble swallowing the capsules, enlist the help of vegetable oil. To do: Lightly roll each pill in the household staple before taking it. The slippery oil will help the pill smoothly glide down your throat, so you don’t have to feel uncomfortable whenever it’s time to take one.
14. Uses for vegetable oil: Polish furniture in a pinch
Guests are due to arrive in the next hour, when you discover you’re all out of wood polish. To quickly shine up your table, add 1 cup of vegetable oil and ½ cup of white vinegar to a spray bottle, shake and spritz on wood. Then wipe with a cloth. Vinegar will disinfect while the oil imparts shine.
15. Uses for vegetable oil: Beautify dull hair in a blink
Halfpoint Images/Getty
The surprising secret to soft, silky strands: Warm 1 cup of vegetable oil in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, massage into dry hair and cover with a shower cap for 20 minutes. Shampoo as usual. The oil moisturizes and fortifies hair for lovely locks.
16. Uses for vegetable oil: Revive a lackluster strand of pearls
Your grandma’s vintage pearls are the perfect addition to your flapper costume, but they’re looking a little dull. Vegetable oil to the rescue! Simply dip a soft cotton cloth in oil and use it to clean each pearl individually. Let dry overnight, then buff with a clean cloth in the morning. The oil will cut through accumulated dust and grime and restore the pearls’ moisture level, leaving them looking luminous.
17. Uses for vegetable oil: Season cast-iron cookware
You haven’t used your big cast-iron skillet since last holiday season, and when you pulled the pan out of storage the other day you discovered that it was rusted. To restore its finish, first use a nonmetallic scrubber to remove the rust, then wash with mild dish soap, rinse and dry. Next, wipe the inside of the skillet with a vegetable oil–soaked paper towel, making sure to leave a very thin layer of oil behind. The oil will provide a protective coating that will prevent rust from forming.
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