Planet friendly home cleaning tips – Olive oil Edition – Cleaner Honiton, Sidmouth, Cullompton- Country Cleaners

Are you Looking to use more environmentally friendly products instead of harmful chemicals?

Olive oil could be the environmentally friendly tool you are looking for!

Olive oil has been used as a food source for millions of people for a long time, it is highly concentrated in fatty acids as well as a powerful antioxidant, helping combat ageing.

It is not only used as an energy source but it is also used in alternative medicine to treat all sorts of conditions from wax build-up in the ears to reducing the risk of gallstones.

So olive oil is good for your health, and it is good as food, but what else can it do?

Well the ancient Egyptians used it as a hair treatment, it helps to moisturise cracked heels making olive oil an effective cosmetic/beauty tool.

But did you know Olive oil can also be used for cleaning?

Olive oil is neither antibacterial nor disinfectant but it is a great cleaning tool. It nourishes surfaces and protects them in the same way it moisturises our cracked heels, it’s great for loosening grease, grime, rust and stains.

The best part is, it’s being used for cleaning and not for cooking, so it doesn’t matter if you buy the basics brands or the expensive brands.

You could even add it to a spray bottle for easier use.

Here are some handy uses for olive when cleaning…

Polishing Wooden Furniture

A natural alternative to furniture polish – olive oil!

Olive oil is not only great for picking up dust on wooden furniture, but it also adds a protective barrier and a subtle shine to the surface.

Ingredients:

White vinegar
Olive Oil
A Soft Cloth

Mix 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts olive oil into a spray bottle. Spray onto your soft cleaning cloth, clean over the furniture and buff dry with a soft dry cloth.

You can even use this solution to shine your wooden floors!

Did you know olive oil can also remove light scratches from wood? Pour a small amount of olive oil onto a soft cloth and gently work it into the scratch.

Rattan and wicker are really trendy at the moment but how do we stop the rattan from cracking and losing colour? – Olive oil!

Rubbing olive oil onto your rattan furniture will protect the material from drying out and losing colour.

You can protect your wooden chopping boards using olive oil.

Please note: We would always suggest checking the manufacturer’s guide before using olive oil and white vinegar on your furniture. It is advisable to do a test patch where possible.

Polishing Metals

You can bring metal items back to life using olive oil and another ingredient we have previously discussed in our last cleaning tips and tricks blog post – Baking Soda!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Baking Soda
Absorbent Cloth

Combine 50g of Olive oil and 10g of baking soda together and apply the mixture to the metal objects you are looking to brighten. Leave for 10 minutes and remove the excess with an absorbent cloth.

You can follow this up with olive oil on its own, working into the item in a circular motion with a soft cloth really gives an additional shine, preventing corrosion, water spots and tarnishes.

Finish by buffing the item dry with a soft dry cloth.

Removing Rust Stains

Olive oil is also great for cleaning rust stains that may have formed on walls, furniture and others, this is due to its oily composition.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Sponge
Soft Cloth

To clean rust stains mix 30 grams of olive oil with 10ml of lemon juice. Rub the solution onto the rusted areas using a sponge and leave this on for 20 minutes to break down the rust before removing the excess with a soft cloth.

You can even help make razor blades last longer by adding olive oil. It can help prevent rust, don’t forget to wipe off the blades before using them.

Removing Grease

Olive oil can help to cut through grease in your pots and stoves using another ingredient we have previously spoken about in our last cleaning tips and tricks blog post – white vinegar!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
White Vinegar
Coarse Salt

Combine 50g of olive oil, and 6 tablespoons of white vinegar (60G) together and rub them onto the pots, pans and stoves. Let the mixture do its work for around 10 minutes and then remove the excess by washing away.

You can use a similar method to remove stuck-on food from cast iron pans by combining olive oil with some coarse salt and giving it a good scrub removing the debris but also keeping the surface of the pan buffed.

Polishing Silver

When cleaning silver, olive oil can slow the oxidisation process so although you can’t stop the silver from tarnishing, you can keep it looking shiny for longer, the process is simple, just dab some olive oil onto a soft cloth and rub over your polished silver.

Cleaning Leather

Olive oil can be used to restore colour, repair scratches and make tired-looking leather shine again. Simply apply a small amount of olive oil to a soft cloth and work it into the leather using circular motions.

Removing Labels

There’s nothing worse than trying to remove a sticky label from a jar! Start by pouring olive oil all over the sticky label and leave it to sit for 15 minutes.

When you come back to the jar, the label should slip off with ease! Simply wash away any residue under the tap and buff your jar dry using a dry cloth.

Cleaning Make Up Brushes

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Dishwashing Soap

To clean your makeup brushes, pour a little olive oil into a jar and a small amount of dishwashing soap so it just fills the bottom of the jar.

Place your makeup brushes into the jar and
wash them in the solution. Thoroughly wash out the solution under the tap, your makeup brushes just need to be left to air dry.

Dusting and Shining Plants

Apply a small amount of olive oil to a cloth and carefully rub the oil onto the leaves.

You can also add a few drops of olive oil to your watering can or straight into the ground as a good source of nutrients for your plant.

Olive oil can be used to remove paint-stained hands, remove chewing gum, remove grease from your kitchen doors and even fix squeaky hinges, and it can even be used to shine your shoes!

Who knew olive oil could have so many uses?

Please note: We would always suggest checking the manufacturer’s guide before using olive oil on any items. It is advisable to do a test patch where possible.

There are many more uses for these household items when it comes to cleaning, you can subscribe to this blog to ensure you never miss cleaning tips in the future.

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