Natural Cleaners Part III: Cooking Oils

We're continuing to bring to you natural cleaners for your house - a good way to not only save some money, but also to provide a safer environment in which your children can play!

All households out there have cooking oils around, I'm sure of it, and now here's a great way to put them to use - especially if they've gone rancid and are no longer flavorful to cook with - what a great alternative to use them up instead of throwing them out!

suggested cleaning uses for cooking oils (courtesy of Real Simple):
*cast-iron pans - make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to fight cooked-on foods; then rinse in hot water
*hands - after a hard day's work of painting, rub your hands with vegetable oil, then wash with soap
*leather shoes - first wipe away dirt from shoes with a damp sponge, and then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the shoe's surface to remove scuff marks. Buff with chamois.
*wicker and rattan furniture - to prevent these from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and rub in with a cloth. warm the oil on the stove prior so that it is a thin enough solution and easier to apply
*stainless-steel - for some shine, pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff
*wood furniture - make your own polish by mixing 2 cups olive or vegetable oil with the juice of 1 lemon. work it into the furniture with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub with a solution of equal parts olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice.

Stay tuned for next Thursday as our Natural Cleaners series continues with Borax.