Most people are unaware of how versatile vegetable oil can be, from cleaning messes to protecting furniture and kitchen appliances.
Check out surprisingly practical uses for vegetable oil in this post. By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll have 9 new reasons to make sure your own kitchen is never without it!
1. Prevent Stuck Lids
Nothing can kill your progress in the kitchen like having to stop what you’re doing to wrestle with a jar whose lid just won’t budge. But there’s a simple trick you can use to prevent jar lids from getting stuck in the first place!
The next time you have a jar open, take a moment to apply a bit of vegetable oil around the outside rim. The layer of oil will prevent any sticky stuff from “sealing” the lid to the jar, making it much easier to open in the future!
2. Measuring Cup Hack
Similarly, you can also use vegetable oil to “lubricate” your measuring cups before using them to measure thick or sticky substances. Use your fingers or a towel to apply a thin layer of oil to the inside of the cup before measuring out honey, jam, syrups, and other sticky stuff.
When you’re ready to add whatever you measured to your recipe, the oil will help it slide out of the cup with ease!
3. Remove Paint From Hands
I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get through a painting project without getting paint on my hands. But I don’t sweat it anymore, because vegetable oil makes it easy to remove paint without scouring or scrubbing your hands to death!
Just pour a bit of vegetable oil into your hands, rub it in, and let it soak in for about 10 minutes. Then wash your hands as usual, and the paint will slide right off! (And an added bonus, your hands will feel softer and smoother too.)
4. Silence Squeaky Hinges
When squeaky hardware or tools are driving you crazy, grab your bottle of vegetable oil. Dab a small amount of oil onto the area where the squeak is happening, then move whatever is squeaking back and forth to help work the oil in.
The oil will help lubricate the metal parts, silencing the squeak and restoring peace and quiet!
5. Protect Wicker Furniture
While maintaining wicker furniture isn’t quite the same as it is for wood furniture, both materials are subject to drying out and cracking if they aren’t kept moisturized. One easy way to hydrate and protect your wicker furniture is by using a little vegetable oil.
6. Remove A Splinter
While splinters are never fun, they’re even worse when they’re buried just deep enough that you can’t pull them out with tweezers! The next time you’re struggling with a tricky splinter, apply some vegetable oil to the area with a cotton ball and let it soak in for several minutes.
Your skin will absorb the oil and soften up, making it much easier for you to ease the splinter out.
7. Dissolve Sticker Residue
Want an easy way to remove the leftover adhesive residue after unsuccessfully tearing off a sticker or label? Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil over the remaining residue, then allow the container to sit undisturbed for an hour or so.
The oil will loosen the adhesive and help break down any remaining paper. When you come back to it, that stubborn sticker adhesive will slide right off.
8. Care For Cast Iron
Oiling your cast iron pans regularly will help maintain a “seasoned” layer that prevents your food from sticking to it. Vegetable oil makes a great candidate for the task because it’s inexpensive and doesn’t have a strong taste or odor.
9. Soften Dry Skin
Soften and moisturize dry feet overnight by rubbing on some vegetable oil and then pulling on a pair of clean socks before bed. While you sleep, the oil will moisturize and soften the dry skin, and you’ll see marked improvement in the morning!
You can also use vegetable oil to soften dry skin elsewhere, like your knees, elbows, and ankles!