13 genius ways to use cooking spray that go way beyond the kitchen
Bet you didn’t have a clue cooking spray was so versatile.
Grating cheese
Put less elbow grease into grating cheese by using a non-stick cooking spray on your cheese grater for smoother grating. The spray also makes for easier and faster clean-up.
Prevent tomato sauce stains
Sick of those hard-to-clean tomato sauce stains on your plastic containers? To prevent them, apply a light coating of non-stick cooking spray on the inside of the container before you pour in the tomato sauce.
Keep car wheels clean
You know that fine black stuff that collects on the wheels of your car and is so hard to clean off? That’s brake dust – it’s produced every time you apply your brakes and the pads wear against the brake disks or cylinders. The next time you invest the elbow grease to get your wheels shiny, give them a light coating of cooking spray. The brake dust will wipe right off.
Lubricate your bicycle chain
Bike chain a bit creaky and you don’t have any lubricating oil handy? Give it a shot of non-stick cooking spray instead. Don’t use too much – the chain shouldn’t look wet. Wipe off the excess with a clean rag.
Cure door squeaks
Heard that door squeak just one time too many? Hit the hinge with some non-stick cooking spray. Have paper towels handy to wipe up the drips.
Remove paint and grease
Forget smelly solvents to remove paint and grease from your hands. Instead, use cooking spray to do the job. Work it in well and rinse. Wash again with soap and water.
Dry nail polish
Need your nail polish to dry in a hurry? Spray it with a coat of cooking spray and let dry. The spray is also a great moisturiser for your hands.
Quick casting
Pack a can of cooking spray when you go fishing. Spray it on your fishing line and the line will cast easier and further.
Prevent grass sticking
Mowing the lawn should be easy, but cleaning cut grass from the mower is tedious. Prevent grass from sticking on mower blades and the underside of the housing by spraying them with cooking oil before you begin mowing.
Lubricate your locks
Tired of jiggling your keys in your locks? If you deal with a tough lock interior or sticky keys, try using a few sprays of cooking oil. The oil will help slide your key in and get you through the door much easier.
Say bye to soap scum
Spray your shower door with cooking oil and stubborn soap scum will come right off when you wipe it with a towel. Oil breaks down lime deposits so that’s why it removes easily. After a few swipes with a towel, clean the surface to maximise the cleanliness.
Coat measuring cups
The next time a recipe calls for a sticky ingredient such as honey, coat your measuring cups with oil so your quantity is exact and will slide right out when pouring it into your mixture.
Remove gum from your hair
Having gum in your hair is a nightmare. Before you start freaking out or think you need scissors to chop it out, try spraying the gum with cooking spray. It should loosen it up enough to the point where it will slide right out.
Written by Christina Farah. This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.
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