Uses for Olive Oil around the home

DAY 6 OF OLIVE WEEK

Uses for Olive Oil as a medicinal product

As previously mentioned, olive oil is a great source of vitamin E. Consuming olives or olive oil has got many health benefits, including lessening the symptoms of asthma and arthritis, lowering blood pressure, and even helping to prevent stomach ulcers and gallstones. One of the most remarkable properties of olive oil is its ability to help neutralise the damaging free radicals which lead to skin cancer. This is because the oil contains at least four different antioxidants, which help to fight cancer. Olive oil can also help your cholesterol levels, as it promotes good cholesterol (HDL) while fighting off bad cholesterol (LDL). 

Ease Snoring - Taking a small sip of olive oil before going to sleep, can help to lubricate your throat muscles, which will help to ease your snoring. 

Scratchy Throat - Drinking a teaspoon of olive oil can help ease a scratchy or tickly throat, if you do not have any cough or throat medicine handy.

Using Olive Oil Around the Home

Apart from the uses of olive oil in food and as a body treatment, there are lots of uses that you may have never thought of around the home as well. 

Polish Furniture and Metal - You can polish silverware, copper and other items with ketchup, then after you are finished, rub a small amount of olive oil on there, to prevent corrosion and streaks. Just make sure to do a spot test on a part that won’t be seen first.

Condition Leather - You can condition your leather goods, such as shoes, baseball gloves etc, by rubbing olive oil on them, and then leaving for 30 minutes before buffing off any excess.  Spot test expensive items such as shoes before trying this, to check that the colour doesn’t run. 

Prevent Your Cat Getting Hairballs - Adding a teaspoon of olive oil to your cats food can help to prevent hairballs, as well as making their coat nice and shiny. 

Free Stuck Zips - Use a cotton bud to smear some olive oil down the outside or inside of the zip, then try to gently ease the zip open.

Fix Squeaky Doors - Forget the WD40, olive oil is great as a lubricant for many household items. Rub some olive oil onto the hinges of your doors, and they will be squeak free in no time. 

Remove Paint - You can use olive oil to remove paint from your hair and skin by rubbing the affected area with a cotton ball soaked in olive oil.

Garden Tools - Coat your garden tool blades with a thin layer of olive oil to help prevent them rusting, as well as repelling dirt.