The Surprising Ingredient You Should Use to Clean Your Kitchen

As someone who attended naturopathic college and can't function until my space is clean and tidy, I'm always searching for non-toxic cleaning solutions that really work.

Over the years, I’ve tested countless natural cleaning hacks, and olive oil was one of the most surprising winners. At first, I was skeptical that a pantry staple—oil, no less–could effectively replace its harsher counterparts. After testing it on various kitchen surfaces, I'm happy to report that a humble bottle of grocery store olive oil is a surprisingly versatile cleaning hero. 

Restore the Shine on Stainless Steel Appliances

My family uses our fridge, oven, and microwave multiple times a day, so over time, these stainless steel appliances develop streaks, fingerprints, and water spots that dull their original sheen. My kids seem to particularly love touching the fridge door with grimy, crumb-laden hands.

After quickly wiping down my fridge with a cloth and some dish soap and hot water, a small amount of olive oil (or other neutral oil) on a soft cloth buffs away marks and leaves the stainless steel gleaming. The key to that streak-free shine is pouring a little bit of oil at a time onto your cloth, then rubbing it on in a circular motion or in smooth overlapping motions from one side to the other. This simple finishing step is a great way to bring back that showroom sparkle. I even prefer it to stainless steel appliance cleaners.

Make Wood Cabinets Look New

Dull and dingy-looking wood can bring down the mood of a room. To quickly remedy this situation, mix one part lemon juice or vinegar to two parts olive oil and rub a small amount along the grain of the wood. Not only does it brighten up the wood and diminish imperfections, it really makes the color pop.

I also love using this mixture on my rattan kitchen stools to keep cracks at bay and add a lovely, soft shine. I think of the oil nourishing the wood the same way it nourishes skin. And as a bonus, the lemon juice makes everything smell great!

For wooden items you use more regularly, like wooden spoons or cutting boards, it’s better to use a drying oil like tung or flax oil. Non-drying oils, with heavy use, may leave your tools with a rancid smell over time.

Remove Stubborn Sticker Residue

We've all been on the losing end of an unforgiving sticker or struggled to scrape off the sticky remains left behind on kitchen tools. That’s why this hack is, perhaps, the most satisfying of them all! Soaking stickers in olive oil for several minutes can loosen even the most stubborn glue.

I had an unsightly, incredibly resistant, lid-sized sticker on the largest lid from a set of nesting mixing bowls I received as a gift over a decade ago. After many unsuccessful attempts, I'd given up trying to remove it. But seeing the half-peeled sticker on the bowl was a micro annoyance in my day-to-day joy. When I learned about this method, I skeptically thought I'd give it one last try.

I drizzled a layer of olive oil onto the sticker, rubbed it in, then popped out to the grocery store for half an hour. When I returned, I took a pan scraper to the sticker and, to my amazement, it came off easily. Ten years in, and the sticker and its goop are finally gone!

The moral of this story? Don't overlook what's probably already sitting in your pantry. Olive oil isn’t just a tasty addition to cake, a tangy Greek salad dressing, or your favorite pasta dishes. An everyday bottle of olive oil (or other neutral oil) is convenient and affordable and can be used to maintain, buff, revive, and zhush-up essential pieces in your kitchen, making them look brand new again.