By Chris McAndrew
So, you have bought your bottle of Olive Oil to drizzle over your
salad or maybe to cook with but did you know that this wonderfully
versatile product has a few other uses?
1. Substitute for shaving cream. Olive oil can provide a safe and
natural lubricant for a close shave. Rub in an extra teaspoon after
washing your body or face once finished.
2. Make your own furniture polish. Restore the lost lustre of your
wooden furniture by whipping up some serious homemade furniture
polish that's just as good as any of the commercial stuff. Combine
2 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon juice or white vinegar in a
clean spray bottle, shake it up, and spray on. Leave on the mixture
for a minute or two, and then wipe off with a clean cloth or paper
towel.
3. Fingernails. Use a bit of olive oil to moisturize cuticles, or
mix oil and water and soak your hands before a manicure.
4. Lubricate Measuring Cups and Spoons. Rub or spray olive oil on
your measuring tools for easy clean-up of sticky substances like
honey, grain mustards, and sugar syrups,
5. Control hair frizz. Comb a bit of olive oil through dry hair to
tame the frizz and flyaways on humid days or in the winter.
6. Free a stuck zipper. Use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the
teeth of a zipper, then gently ease the tab down.
7. Care for your cat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to your cats
food to help prevent hairballs, and provide a shiny coat.
8. DIY Lip balm. Mix olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio,
with an essential oil for fragrance, and say goodbye to dry and
chapped lips.
9. As hair conditioner. Is your hair as dry and brittle? Put the
moisture back into it by heating 1/2 cup olive oil (don't boil it),
and then liberally applying it to your hair. Cover your hair with a
plastic grocery bag, and then wrap it in a towel. Let it set for 45
minutes, then shampoo and thoroughly rinse.
10. Shine stainless steel and brass. Rub a bit of olive oil on a
clean rag to prevent streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.
11. Exfoliate your face and hands. Rub your skin with olive oil,
and then scrub with sugar or coarse salt, and rinse.
12. As you bathe. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your
running bath water. Youll be amazed when you towel off.
13. Remove makeup. Dab a bit under your eyes, on your cheeks and
forehead, then wipe with a damp cloth.
14. Cure an earache. Very carefully, use a cotton swab to apply
olive oil to the outside ear cavity to help with earaches and
excess wax.
15. Remove paint from your skin. Rub on olive oil onto messy hand
and arms (or faces) and allow the oil to soak into the skin for
five minutes, and then rinse with soap and water.
16. Treat lice. Apply olive oil to your youngsters hair, and leave
on for at least 40 minutes. Shampoo twice, and then apply a
preventative.
17. Stop a throat tickle. Take a sip of olive oil to stop the itchy
flicker that is making you cough.
18. Fix a squeaky door. Use a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil
to the top of a problematic hinge in your home or automobile
19. Shoe polish. Rub down your shoes with just a spray of olive oil
to maintain their shine.
20. Clear up acne. So, the idea of applying oil to your face to
treat acne does sound a bit strange but many people swear this
works: Make a paste by mixing 4 tablespoons salt with 3 tablespoons
olive oil. Pour the mixture onto your hands and fingers and work it
around your face. Leave it on for a minute or two, and then rinse
it off with warm, soapy water. Apply daily for one week, then cut
back to two or three times weekly. You should see a noticeable
improvement in your condition. (The principle is that the salt
cleanses the pores by exfoliation, while the olive oil restores the
skin's natural moisture.)
21. Soften your skin. Rub olive oil daily on notoriously dry areas,
such as your feet or elbows, especially after a shower, shaving, or
waxing.
22. Easy clean up of garden tools. Spray some olive oil on your
tools to cut down on dirt build-up.
23. Condition leather. Rub olive oil into worn leather, such as a
baseball glove, and let set for 30 minutes, and then wipe away any
excess.
24. Clean your greasy hands. To remove car grease or paint from
your hands, pour 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt or sugar
into your palms. Vigorously rub the mixture into your hands and
between your fingers for several minutes; then wash it off with
soap and water. Not only will your hands be cleaner, they'll be
softer as well.
25. Cure nappy rash. Gently wipe on olive oil to your babys bottom
to help with the irritation of diaper rash.
26. Remove paint from hair. Did you get almost as much paint in
your hair as you did on the walls in your last paint job? You can
easily remove that undesirable tint by moistening a cotton ball
with some olive oil and gently rubbing it into your hair.
27. Floor polish - Mix three parts lemon and one part vinegar for
well working wood polish.
28. A mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 1/4 cup
water used as a night cream will make your skin glow. The olive oil
softens and moisturizes and the vinegar lightens discolorations,
kills bacteria and loosens dead skin cells. Splash water on your
face before applying.
29. To prevent your pasta from overflowing, try pouring a
tablespoon of olive oil into the water before boiling.
30. Replace butter - When cooking, try adding a little bit of olive
oil instead of butter for a healthier and better tasting
meal.
All of this from the 'stuff' you just bought as a salad dressing!
(Don't try any of this with Mayo!!)
taken from www.musewoman.com
