Olive oil makes for a delicious addition to many recipes. It is used everywhere in cooking, from making salad dressing to bruschetta and beyond. However, it is a versatile item and, surprisingly, can be used in all kinds of everyday things, from beauty treatments to cleaning! Check out these 7 different uses for olive oil.
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I had no idea about this, but evidently you can use olive oil in place of shaving cream, lotion, or soap – whatever you use to shave now. It will also keep your skin soft and supple, so you can add some drops to your bath water as well. Actually, olive oil has a lot of natural beauty properties, as you will see.
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If your silverware is made of stainless steel, or you have stainless steel appliances, you can use olive oil to shine them. It makes a great alternative to other cleaning products and will not cause corrosion. And it’s certainly safe, since it’s a natural product.
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Olive oil can be helpful to your pets in several ways. By adding it to a cat’s food – preferably wet, even if it’s a special treat – it will help to prevent your cat from getting hair balls. Dogs with dry skin can benefit from it as well. Our dachshund and my mom’s little Pomeranian/Papillion prince-mutt get really dry skin in the summer and the winter. Adding olive oil to a dish of wet food for them help keeps their skin moisturized, and rubbing the olive oil right into the worst spots keeps them soft and hydrated.
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Olive oil can help your fingernails in a number of ways. For one thing, you can use it to keep your cuticles moisturized. If both your cuticles and your nails themselves are dry, then soaking them in a little olive oil will help keep them strengthened and hydrated.
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Is the zipper on your favorite jeans stuck? A little olive oil on the teeth should do the trick. Does your front door squeak? A little oil on the hinges should smooth it out just fine. You can even use a bit of olive oil on a cloth to dust and polish wooden furniture. I’ve tried this one, and it does give the wood a rich, warm glow. It’s absolutely gorgeous – and probably tastes delicious as well!
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I know my feet get really gnarly sometimes, because I tend to go around barefoot pretty much all the time. Olive oil can take care of the dried skin and cracks that tend to show up on your feet and hands, especially in the cold weather. It will soften rough skin and leave it looking and feeling silky and supple.
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First, props to anybody who gets that reference! Second, chapped lips are a common problem during the winter months. Olive oil can help even more than chapstick or lip balm – although I would imagine it might be a bit messier. Then again, I’ll go through just about anything to keep my lips soft!
I love homemade remedies for things like these. If it’s in my house, I’m happy to try it. Does anyone out there have any cleaning tips or beauty tricks that use things you already have?
Top Photo Credit: ♡Lynn♡