Fresh Idea Friday: 18 Non-Food Uses for Olive Oil

Our use of olive oil dates back prior to 3500 BC and today over three quarters of a billion olive trees are cultivated around the world. One of the amazing things about olive trees are the conditions in which they can grow. While originating from the Mediterranean, there are thriving olive industries in many countries, including Australia, and I've even seen them thrive in some very harsh conditions over here.

Olive oil grades
In case you've ever wondered about the various olive oil grades, here are a few of the common ones:

Extra-virgin:  comes from the first pressing of the olives; the best quality

Virgin: has an acidity less than 2% and no refined oil content

Pure olive oil: Usually a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil. Refining is carried out using charcoal or other chemical filters.

Extra light: More of a marketing term than a grade. Usually highly processed, may be mixed with other oils, or may be just pure olive oil grade. The "light" refers to flavor rather than caloric content.

Pomace, cake or lampante: not intended for human consumption, and generally used for industrial purposes, such as soap making or lamp oil.
 
Non-food usage tips for olive oil
We're  familiar with olive oil in relation to cooking, but there are so many other ways it can be used; often avoiding the need to use synthetic chemicals, compounds and substances that aren't very environmentally friendly. For these tips, you don't need to use the best grade of olive oil.

1. After polishing copper or brass, rub it with a little olive oil to slow down the recurrence of tarnish
2. Can be used as a stainless steel cleaner; apply sparingly
3. Rub olive oil into wooden cutting boards to help prevent cracking, repel staining and marking
4. Remove paint from hair or skin by dabbing a cotton ball dipped in olive to the affected area
5. Use it as an alternative for de-squeaking hinges
6. Olive oil can help unjam zippers - use a cotton bud to apply
7. Apply a little olive oil to your shoes to restore their shine
8. Old leather can be made more supple by rubbing in olive oil (spot test first)
9. Coat garden tool blades with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent dirt sticking to them and to help prevent rusting. This works really well!
10. Mix one part lemon juice with 3 parts olive oil to make a wooden furniture polish
11. Rub into to fingernails before and after manicuring
12. A small amount of olive oil applied after shampooing can substitute hair conditioner.
13. Extra light olive oil can be used as a massage oil
14. Olive oil can replace shaving cream or shaving oil
15. Dip a razor into olive oil after use to prevent the blade rusting
16. Can be applied to chapped lips to to relieve the dryness
17. Use as a makeup remover
18. A teaspoon of olive oil can help soothe a tickling or sore throat (I've tried it and it has provided some relief) and in some cases if taken just before bed, some say it can alleviate snoring :).

What non-food uses have you found for olive oil? Please share your ideas below!

All greased up in Granolaville,


 



Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.comGreen Living Tips is an online resource powered by renewable energy offering a wide variety of earth friendly tips, green guides, advice and environment related news to help consumers and business reduce costs, consumption and environmental impact .

Fresh Idea Friday: Quick & Easy Eco-Cleaning Spray For Your Home

Store bought disinfectants used in cleaning can contain all sorts of nasty chemicals, some of which should really only be used in controlled settings such as hospitals.

The reason for this is when used around the home inappropriately, these substances can actually help bacteria become resistant to the chemical, creating "superbugs".

The heavy duty disinfectant artillery should be left to health professionals as a last line of defense. As has been noted in the case of staph, the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics has created super-strains which are now resistant to practically *all* antibiotics.

Some of the chemicals used in commercial preparations can also have a negative effect on aquatic life as water treatment facilities can't filter them out.

A chemical of particular concern is triclosan. Used in everything from bar soaps to toothpaste, it can also be found in some commercial disinfectants. According to Beyond Pesticides, researchers who added triclosan to river water and shined ultra violet light on the water found that between one and twelve percent of the triclosan was converted to dioxins. Dioxins are incredibly toxic to aquatic organisms, animals and humans and as these substances are bioaccumulative, they work their way up the food chain.

In a U.S. Geological Survey study of 95 different organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, triclosan was one of the most frequently detected compounds.

This is a serious environmental issue that we can all play a role in helping to address - for starters, taking more care in the types of disinfectant we choose and use.

Greener disinfecting alternatives

It's important to bear in mind that disinfecting something means killing something else; that the nature of the process is destructive - however, the goal is to minimize "collateral damage".

While there are quite a few environmentally friendly (or should I say, friendlier) products on the market, making your own environmentally friendly disinfectant is very cheap and extremely quick to do using just eucalyptus oil and water.

Simply mix 1.6 oz (around 50 ml) of eucalyptus oil with a quart of water. That's all there is to it - not everything that is effective needs to be complex.

Be sure to shake well before use and use as you would a store bought disinfectant. Also keep the mixture out of direct sunlight in a opaque container.

Not only will you have a greener disinfectant, but by making your own, you're more likely to use the same container, therefore cutting down your plastic consumption.

Eucalyptus oil is amazing stuff and you'll see it mentioned regularly throughout this site. I've read that European doctors used to use eucalyptus oil to disinfect and sterilize their equipment. Do be careful when handling eucalyptus oil as it's quite potent and can cause skin irritation in its undiluted form.

Here's another disinfectant recipe if you're not particularly fond of the smell of eucalyptus:

Grapefruit Seed Extract Disinfectant Spray

Ingredients:

1 gallon warm water
20 drops grapefruit seed extract
Mix and pour in a spray bottle

That's it!

Some other earth friendly disinfecting agents:

- Vinegar with a few drops of essential oil to mask the smell.

- 3% Hydrogen peroxide

- Grain alcohol mixed with 30% water to stop it from evaporating too quickly (or even cheap vodka - which has many other uses too)

If you have some earth friendly disinfectant tips you'd like to share; please add them below! 

Keeping your kitchens safe in Granolaville,

~Michael Bloch

Article courtesy of Green Living Tips.comGreen Living Tips is an online resource powered by renewable energy offering a wide variety of earth friendly tips, green guides, advice and environment related news to help consumers and business reduce costs, consumption and environmental impact .

Fresh Idea Friday: 11 Uses for Lemons In

Lemon Tree

Part of walking the path to holistic health is realizing how many awesome things nature has provided us to use in our everyday lives. As my family and I set out out on this journey I've discovered all sorts of cool things like how coconut oil can be used for funky foot odor, and bananas are a great exfoliant for your face.

Here's 11 fresh ways to use lemons around the house.

Cleaning 

1. Counter top Stains. There's a reason why almost every cleaning product has a "Fresh Lemon" scent. Nothing says clean like the tart smell of this little fruit. Next time you need to clean your kitchen counters forget the Clorox. Get an empty spray bottle and fill it with hot water, 1/2 cup vinegar and the juice from one whole lemon. Let it sit  for 5 minutes for really tough stains, and "Voila!" your kitchen will smell like you've been cleaning all day!

2. Cut Grease. Now matter what I do, after every meal in my house the stove is filled with a greasy film. Luckily the citric acid in lemons breaks up that grease so your stove top will shine like new.

3. Soap Scum. With 3 sons and a husband, I am far too familiar with a dirty bathroom. But if you really want your faucets and chrome to sparkle, try squeezing a lemon directly on hard water deposits and soap scum. It won't help with the dirty clothes on the floor, but at least the shower will be clean!

4. Disinfect Cutting Boards. To avoid bacteria from staying in the pours of your cutting board rub a 1/2 a lemon on the surface. Let sit for 10 minutes before wiping clean.

5. Brighten Whites. I don't know about you, but I HATE seeing brand new socks next to older ones when I do the laundry. I feel like the old ones are whispering to me, "Why the hell don't WE look like that anymore!" ( I really think that is why socks disappear) Never fear little socks! The next time you want to get those whites SUPER white, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle of your wash and say good-bye to dingy feet!

Beauty

6. Natural Highlights. I love sun kissed highlights as much as the next girl. But putting more harsh chemicals in my hair is something I'm trying to avoid. The next time you want to add a little brightness to your locks, without breaking the bank, saturate your hair with lemon juice and sit in the sun for a 1/2 hour. Rinse thoroughly and follow-up with a good conditioner like one based with coconut oil.

7. Clean Finger Nails. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on your nails and rub with a old toothbrush. It's natural astringent will help remove any stains and can be used to remove odors from onions.

8. Cure a Hangover. Not that I have EVER had one of these (if you went to college with me please refrain from commenting), BUT if I WERE to experience one I would add a 1/2 cup of juice to a glass of water to restore PH levels which is the cause of feeling like shit run over. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

9. Freshen Bad Breath. For the same reasons lemons work on an "alleged" hangover, they can also help with halitosis. Try gargling water, lemon juice, and honey, for a fresh breath remedy.

Food


10. Preserve Food. Anytime you have a half used piece of fruit or vegetable, place the item in a plastic bag with a 1/2 a lemon. The acidity will prevent them from turning brown. This is very useful when giving kids apple slices for lunch and preventing them from tossing them because they "look icky".

11. Decorate. Putting some brightly yellow lemons in a vase or bowl to inexpensively spruce up your table decor.

Vase of Lemons

What are some ways you use lemons around the house?


Lemony Fresh in Granolaville,

Resources: 
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/lemons.html
http://www.wisebread.com/25-alternative-uses-for-lemons
http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/101-new-uses-for-everyday-things-10000001030084/index.html 

Fresh Idea Friday: You Want Me to Put a Banana Where?

Whether topped with ice cream and a cherry, in pie or bread, bananas are a tasty way to amp up any meal. Loaded with vitamins A, E, B6, Potassium and Manganese bananas are not just a delicious snack, they are also good for your bones and eyesight, and can help restore a natural glow to your skin and hair.

Wrinkles

To ward off signs of aging mash up a banana with tablespoon of honey and yogurt. Apply it to your neck and face, let it sit for 15-20 minutes and then rinse. It's anti-aging nutrients can protect the skin from further cell damage and will leave your face with a more youthful glow.

Acne

No matter how old you are having a blemish on your face can put a damper on your day. So the next time you spot a pimple try rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the problem area. Since most acne is caused by irritation from bacteria, the natural anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties of a ripened peel can help clear up unwanted irritation.

Dry Skin

During the winter months, especially, many of us have to deal with itchy dry skin. The lack of moisture in the air, or having an unbalanced diet can cause it to become overly dry which often causes scaling and cracking. By smashing up a banana into a thick paste and leaving it on the affected area for about 15 minutes you can leave your skin feeling like you had an afternoon at the spa.

Warts

These unsightly patches of skin caused by the HPV virus can be painful and costly if removed by a dermatologist. The high amount of potassium in bananas has a caustic effect after long periods of time on skin. It burns away at the wart layer by layer without damaging the healthy skin. Though warts sometimes disappear on their own, you can expedite the process. Save yourself pain and money by taping a banana peel on the wart each night before bed. Within a few weeks the area should be wart free.

Do you have any other uses for bananas? Let me know in the comments section below!


Smelling Fruity in Granolaville,