13 Remarkable Uses for Cooking Oil Spray
by Darlene McFarlane on Dec 22, 2007 with 47 Comments
The first no stick cooking spray hit the market in 1957. It’s ability to prevent food from sticking to pots and pans was an instant success making cooking easier, more enjoyable, and elbow grease a thing of the past.
Over time people began to find there were many more uses for cooking spray than its original intention. The list below shows the most popular alternative uses for non stick spray cooking oil.
-
Car Wheels
These collect brake dust from wearing brake pads each time you apply your brakes. They also pick up dirt and oil from the road. You can easily avoid this hard to remove debris from sticking to your wheels by spraying a little no stick cooking oil on them after they have been cleaned. Next time you have to clean the wheels, the dirt should wipe off without a lot of elbow grease.
-
Car Grill
Bugs will wipe right off your car grill if you spray it first with cooking spray. Spray oil on a soft cloth and rub onto grill. Not only will it keep bugs from sticking but it will brighten and shine your grill.
-
Your Keys
If you have trouble with a sticky key lock, spray the key with cooking spray before inserting into the lock. Work the key back and forth a couple of times to distribute the oil.
-
Mailbox Lock
If you have your mail delivered to a community mailbox try spraying the inside rim of your mailbox door to keep it from freezing shut in winter. You can spray a little cooking oil into the padlock as well to keep frost from forming.
-
Candlesticks
Spraying your candle holders with cooking oil will keep melted wax from sticking to them for easy clean up.
-
Bathroom Soap Scum
Easily remove soap scum from sink, tub, and tiles, by wiping with no stick cooking oil after your initial cleaning. Spray a little oil on a clean dry cloth and polish fixtures. Soap scum and dirt will wipe right off. Rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.
-
Putty Knife
Spraying your putty knife before stripping paint will make the knife much easier to clean while you are working.
-
Squeaky hinges
In a pinch, spray cooking oil can be used to quiet a squeaky door. Spray oil on hinges and remove any drips with paper towel or cloth.
-
Bicycle Chains
If your bicycle chain is sticking or rusted, spray it with cooking oil.
-
Nail Polish
To dry nail polish quickly, spray wet nails with cooking oil.
-
Lawnmower Blades
To keep cut grass from sticking to your lawnmower blades while cutting grass, simply spray the blades with cooking oil before you begin mowing.
-
Shoveling Snow
To keep snow from sticking to your shovel, spray the shovel before you begin and spraying the chute of a snow blower will prevent snow from clogging up the chute.
-
Cheese Grater
Spray your grater with non stick cooking oil to keep the cheese from sticking to the grater. You will get the job done faster and clean up is easier.
There are probably many more uses for Non-Stick Cooking Spray than the 13 ideas listed here. If you have a use that isn’t mentioned above, please let us share it with us.
Liked it
Published in: Homemaking
Jason B. | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
I never thought of using cooking spray oil for anything except cooking. WOW! This makes sense!
Trish | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
I thought this article was good. I never thought of using cooking oil for anything besides cooking either. I will keep this in mind, it could be very useful around the house.
IcyCucky | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
Wonderful article. And thank you for all the great tips! I love the idea for candlesticks!
lanne. | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
Good tips. I use it for a couple of things but never thought of these.
Dee Huff | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
Great tips, Darlene, especially the cheese grater. I also use cooking oil to oil and polish wooden salad, fruit or snack bowls after they’ve been washed.
C A Johnson | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
These were really great tips Darlene. I will have to try these. I have doors that are squeaky so this tip will really help.
Darlene McFarlane | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
Thanks guys for taking the time to drop by. There are a couple of tips I didn’t know but I am going to try them out.
M.C. Johnson | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
I like that nail polish one!
Lucy Lockett | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
I want to try the cheese grater one!
Liane Schmidt | Dec 22, 2007 | Reply
Another great article Darlene!*
Best wishes.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
francie | Dec 23, 2007 | Reply
good tips, I like the candle stick one and especially the cheese grater tip, that is always a problem for me.
CHAN LEE PENG | Dec 25, 2007 | Reply
Good article, Darlene, thank you!
John | Dec 26, 2007 | Reply
Spraying cooking oil on his lounge chair keeps Larry from sitting around all day,wasting systemm time.
Jim | Dec 26, 2007 | Reply
Cleans oil based paint from your hands or, in a pinch, from a brush.
Cindy | Dec 27, 2007 | Reply
Can’t believe that one isn’t mentioned…for all those Soccer Moms out there, spray cleats before a game and mudd doesn’t stick.
shaun ashcroft | Dec 28, 2007 | Reply
Darlene,
You are a real domestic MacGyver and I reckon you would have a bright idea for everything. Well done.
louie jerome | Dec 29, 2007 | Reply
Great tips, Darlene. I will try the nail polish one.
TempletonPeck | Dec 29, 2007 | Reply
I use it on my pizza cutter. Rinses clean.
Jan Adams | Dec 29, 2007 | Reply
Give it a try on your lug nuts on auto wheels next time you get a flat.
Shep Blank | Dec 29, 2007 | Reply
The greatest use of all for me is to spray it on the blades of a snow blower to keep it from clogging up while slugging snow off of the driveway.
The Blank Brothers Music
Zhang | Dec 30, 2007 | Reply
A good article. Where do you find all this stuff?
a.king | Dec 30, 2007 | Reply
Another great article, Darlene. I am curious to try the snow shovel tip…and I may just get the chance in the morning since we are supposed to get eight inches of the white stuff overnight.
david vallence | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
i agree with all your suggestions except for the keys. over time the lock will just gunk up. a more permanent solution is to use graphite in a sticky lock
stumbled | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
So what you’re saying is spray-on cooking oil stops things sticking, and so by spraying it on places where things might stick, it stops those things from sticking thus making them easier to clean. *slow hand clap*. How long did it take you to work that out, 50 years?
Anne Lyken-Garner | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
A very comrehensive and time saving list. Thanks Darlene
To stumbled | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
to #27
Dear stumbled.
It seems that whenever someone makes the top 10 on triond’s hotlist mockers abound. First of all,your comment about “spray-on cooking oil stops things sticking” is only partly right. Spray cooking oil is only affective if it is sprayed on objects that do not become hot during use. “it stops those things from sticking thus making them easier to clean” is also only partly true as it can be used on things like bicycle chains that neither get sticky or have to be cleaned, in this case and similar cases, the oil is used to free up movement. Could it be that you felt a need to bash the author for her success of this article? Is it easy to hide yourself behind your computer while using demeaning remarks that don’t make the author look small but DO make you look like a childish punk?? How long will it take you to figure that one out…50 years? *Slow clap for lack of intelligence.*
Carguys | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
Good article Darlene, I have always used it on my snow blower but the rims of my car? That sounds like it just might work. Keep up the good work. Love these kinds of articles.
Oh, please do not dignify people like “stumbled” with a response.
Judy Sheldon-Walker | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
Awesome article, Darlene. I came back to read it again, as I enjoyed it so much, when it first came out. I love multi-purpose household items.
Then I noted that my original comment is not here. Did I get my code wrong? I’ve done that before.
Have a blessed, healthy and happy new year.
carl Savage | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
Not to be used except in an emergency, but if you ever need to go out into the hot sun and you have no other protection, you can spray cooking oil like sun tan lotion. What else does regular sun tan oil do? It just has a different smell.
It is good to read of multiple uses for common articles. Shows someone is thinking outside the square.
Just discovered the website. Great!
Ralph Brandt | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
The things that stop cars are brakes not breaks which are times to get coffee at work.
Ralph Brandt | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
DO NOT USE ON CAR KEYS IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA WHERE THE TEMPERATURE GOES BELOW 35 DEGREES.
The oil will stiffen in the lock somewhere about that temperature and the lock will be worse than it was before the treatment. Even if it doesn’t get cold cooking oil will stiffen as the lighter components evaporate and cause a problem.
The only fix for a stuck lock that does not cause later problems i s powdered graphite. You can buy small tubes of it or you can shave pencil lead.
Alexa Gates | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
Great ideas
I think I can use some of them! thanks for the enlightenment!
Darlene McFarlane | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
Alexa! Thanks for dropping by and for the encouragement.
Dan N | Jan 2, 2008 | Reply
These are uses for WD40… here is a new use for WD40- cooking oil.
imagine | Jan 2, 2008 | Reply
though many of the uses are the same as wd40 nobody is trying to say this cooking oil can take the place of it. the title of this page says cooking oil if there are similarities, so what they are not talking about wd40
some people pick at anything!
beauley,Lucien | Jan 2, 2008 | Reply
Looks like there’s still a little room left. You are surely a Jack(Darlene) of all Trades. Everyone can learn something from your article. I like your suggestion for car wheels. I never thought of that one. It’s a good thing Triond doesn’t charge extra for memory usage. Just kiding…Looks like you made top billing again. Thanks Darlene.
Janet Ferris | Jan 3, 2008 | Reply
Hi, All good sugestions. I have one if othere have not tried it. I use the buttery spray on my plain pop corn with salt and it really is good, sort of like buttered popcorn.
Rhonda McCauley | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Cooking spray is also excellent for allowing snow to slide off your sattelite dish. You won’t have to sweep the snow off as often, plus it all comes off easier. These hints are associated with WD40, but Sea Foam’s Deep Creep is much better than WD40 in my opinion. WD40 will eventually dry out. Deep Creep and cooking spray will take much longer to dissipate.
KathySpring | Jan 14, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the ideas, for helpful
Shelli | Jan 25, 2008 | Reply
I like to use cooking spray, in a pinch, on my garden tools before storing them for the winter. I prefer a silicone spray or wd40 but, sometimes its just easier to reach for what I have on hand. I’m like that. =)
Speed Limit | Feb 1, 2008 | Reply
Darlene,
What spray product would you recommend for frying eggs? Thanks for the article – it certainly is useful.
Scott | Apr 30, 2008 | Reply
Sorry, but using it on bicycle chains qualifies as a Bad Idea. Any vegetable-based oil will attract dirt; further, it gums up within weeks or months at the most. You can damage your chain if you do this.
Dan | Jul 11, 2008 | Reply
I put it on my rubbers.
nero | May 5, 2009 | Reply
I’ve found a similar recipe in my favorite cookery book – http://file.sh/huge+collection+of+recipies+torrent.html . I tried to cook it – it takes a little time and is really very delicious!
Wondering | May 5, 2009 | Reply
To hero,
similar recipe for what? This is not a list of recipes and doesn’t even come close. This proves you never read the article because your comment has nothing at all to do with what the article is about.
BigWahoo | May 7, 2009 | Reply
I use it in bed. Great lube
Phil | Sep 12, 2009 | Reply
Interesting list!
I will have to disagree about using it in locks for 2 reasons, the first of which was already mentioned, cold weather may make locks gooey.
But mainly, any liquid lubricant in a lock will ultimately attract dust and pocket lint. The official locksmith approved way to deal with locks is to saturate a key with WD-40 (which will ultimately evaporate cleanly), run it in and out of the lock, and wipe it clean. Repeat until it comes out clean. Then, wait 5 minutes or so for any residual WD-40 to evaporate from the inside of the lock. Next, put a tiny (less than a matchhead) amount of graphite on the tip of the key and run it in and out a few times. Please do not shave graphite from a pencil… it contains clay. Use plain old graphite from the hardware store.
I go on too much about this… call it a personal defect but… WD-40 is a solvent. Spray something with it and check back in a few days. It will be as though you did nothing. Silicone spray is a marginal lubricant. You will still feel a slick effect after a couple of days. It is a better protectant than a lubricant. Given the choice of cooking oil or silicone, cooking oil will probably work better!
Now what makes me happy on this list is the idea of using it on your snowblower. It should work great and it is bio-degradable. I look forward to trying that this winter!