Here is something to go along with my article '10 Surprisingly Useful Uses for Vinegar'.
Olive oil has been around for centuries. It has been traced back to before 3500 BC. Olive oil has no cholesterol and has more monounsaturated fat than any other fat or oil in use, that's the good fat. Here are some other ways, aside from food, that I have found are great uses for olive oil.
1. Kitties - I love my cat. Her hacked up hairballs, um, not so much. Dry or moist, just a teaspoon added to the food and your kitty will have soft and shiny fur, and buh bye hairballs.
2. Tangles and Damage - I wish I had known this trick prior to beauty school. I may not have cut off my waist length hair. For tangles, just rub a bit into the tangle and comb out. I no longer have the need to buy the expensive detangler spray for my kidlets. Save some of that hard earned money in this recession by giving yourself a deep olive oil conditioner. No need to go pay + for a deep conditioner at a salon. Saturate your hair and scalp with olive oil, cover with a shower cap. Shampoo out 30 minutes later and viola! Have shiny, gorgeous hair that a model would envy. =)
3. Earaches - This one is tried and true. My momma used this one on me, but back then it was called 'sweet oil' and with 5 kids this little trick has saved me from many a night time trip to the ER. I put a cup of water in the microwave to get it hot. Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a sandwich bag. Put the bag in the cup of water until the oil is warm. Drop the warm oil in the ear that is hurting, put in a cotton ball, and it holds the kids over until the doctor is open in the morning. =)
4. Skin Moisturizing - I have very dry sky. I have tried all types of lotions, from cheap to very expensive, but have found that olive oil works better than anything I have tried prior. On top of ingesting it, you can apply oil olive directly to the skin. Add it to your bath. Use it for chapped lips. Gentlemen, put aside the shaving cream and apply the olive oil. Shave and rinse. A teaspoon rubbed in after the rinse can ease that shaving burn as well.
5. Furniture polish - Commercial furniture polishes have a nice scent, clean well, but are pricey. As well, I am not comfortable having my little ones eat their snacks off of a coffee table that I cleaned with chemicals. Get a cheap spray bottle, add olive oil and the juice of a lemon or half an orange and polish the furniture. It smells so good, the wood is super shiny, and no chemicals to be afraid of.
6. Lice - I can't stand lice. My middle daughter had a terrible case that she got from school. She had hair below her waist, but it is baby fine. The commercial lice treatment damaged her hair so badly that it had to be cut to her chin. My poor baby was devastated. The next time her dear friend gave her lice, I soaked her hair in olive oil, covered it with a shower cap, and let it sit for 45 minutes. I then used the lice comb to remove the nits, and I didn't have to fight the comb to go through. Shampoo twice after the nits are removed. To keep the lice from coming back I just massage a small amount into her hair and scalp after her hair is shampooed and dried.
7. Paint removal - My honey found a can of green paint under the sink of the house we recently moved into. Our twins found this and their hands and arms were covered in the ugliest green paint ever. Rub the olive oil into the skin where the paint is. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then wash off with some soap and water.
8. Squeaky hinges - We have an older home. And some stiff, squeaky hinges. To fix the stiffness and squeak just rub a few drops on the hinge with a soft rag then work then hinge. It will free up and remove the squeak. Works on car hinges too.
9. Personal lubricant - Buh bye KY Jelly. Enough said...:P
10. Shoe polish - Use the furniture polish spray described above. Mist onto your shoes and buff with a soft cloth.
Olive Oil Fun Facts
Unopened olive oil can keep for 2 years if stored properly.
Olive oil can be used for snoring, just take a tablespoon prior to bed, or feed it to your honey if they are the snore monster.
The olive tree is a type of evergreen and can live 500+ years.
An olive tree takes 5+ years to bear fruit.
Olive oil is a popular ice cream flavor in many upscale restaurants.
