Remove oil based make up
Treat squeaky door hinges with a few drops
Polish stainless-steel with it
Use a little to treat a stuck zipper
Coat wooden kitchen utensils and cutting boards to prevent moisture absorption
Take it orally as a laxative
Swab it in the ears of animals to treat mites
Use as an alternative to varnish
Apply to prevent eyelashes from breaking
Wipe on tools as a rust preventative
Rub it into oil stains on clothes before washing
Use it to remove adhesive residue
Dab some on a soft cloth to moisturize and buff wood
Related Reading:
The Power of Peroxide
Oops, mineral oil should never be used on leather, nor should any other petroleum-based product. Animal source oils only, otherwise the pores in the leather will clog and harden the leather. I raise horses and sell saddles and tack, so leather-care is a priority for me.
ReplyDeleteI did some research on your comment and found that for the most part you are correct. Some sources say a little is okay, while most agree with you that mineral oil will destroy leather. I have always used mink oil on my leather boots in the past, so you probably saved me from ruining them by trying mineral oil. Thanks for setting me straight.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering - I heard that mineral oil would cure Restless Leg Syndrome if rubbed on your body. Don't know if I should try it. Does anyone know anything about this?
ReplyDeleteCan you use mineral oil in your ears for ear wax?
ReplyDeleteI was told by a doctor to use mineral oil in your ears to remove wax and not use Q-tips.
DeleteI'm not a doctor, nor a nurse, Sir: BUT, since you say, I could use mineral oil in the ears of my sweet little Sasha, a Pomeranian to kill ear mites, yet can be used as a varnish. And a laxative? I'd rather use cod liver oil, which is also used as a laxative, thus, could be used in the animals ears, as well as mine, & on my skin, to make it soft, but, cod liver oil is known to reduce or diminish wrinkles too. We will see about that part, I have lots of them, also. However,when I had my son in the 1950's. My pediatric Dr. sent me home to take cod liver oil, with a liquid of my choice, I used orange juice, thus doing,I "had" to hurry back to have my son, I had him in 3 hours! No problems.
DeleteHe is now in his 50's. However, I do like all the other items you mentioned for Mineral oil though, & will definitely try on it on them all, or most of them, as I go along doing things in my home. As you say. They are good ideas. signed, anonymous.
My doctor said it would get rid of was in ears.
ReplyDeleteI saw on Dr Oz that if you put mineral oil in your ears at bedtime (I would guess using something like a cutip or cotton ball)that it works magic over night and you can clean your ears out in the morning with all the wax build up gone.
ReplyDeleteI was told to get sweet oil to unclog my ears. (I'd had a long flight and felt like my eardrums burst) I settled for mineral oil, because the sweet oil was ridiciously expensive. I found that it did help, after a while.
ReplyDeleteI also use it to moisten/clean my oil-based paints from paint brushes. I normally put it in a ziplock and mush around. I was told to use baby oil, but since I had so much mineral oil left, I decided to use that.
Re: unclogging ears: If you had half an hour, you'd have better luck w/ hydrogen peroxide. Hold your head to the side so the clogged ear is "up", take 1 part peroxide & 1 part warm water (maybe a tablespoon of each), & drip it into the clogged ear w/ an eyedropper. Let sit for fifteen minutes, then use the eyedropper to rinse your ear out with more warm water.
DeleteKinda messy, I realize (I wrapped my neck with a towel and leaned over a sink to rise), but WebMD recommends it, and it worked great for me.
Farmers and the like mix it in their liquid fertilizer and weed control to help it stick to plants; making it work better (especially in rainy conditions). They call it crop oil but it's active ingredient is 85% mineral oil.
ReplyDeleteCan I use Mineral Oil for overly dry scalp? If so, how?
ReplyDeleteIt is also great for treating trees, such as campordown (sp?) elm that show signs of scale infestation. It can be brushed onto the affected areas. It smothers the scale and prevents them from migrating. Also can be used on wet stones for knife sharpening.
ReplyDeleteFolks, oil is oil. Once oil is refined, it's nothing but chains of hydrocarbons (hydro-phobic carbon chains). Saying mineral oil is bad for leather vs. natural oils is like saying vitamin C from some rare plant is better for you than just from oranges. Once a chemical is isolated (eg: vitamin C), it's just a chemical. Mineral Oil & Petroleum Jelly have had all petroleum-based solvents (that WOULD harm leather) removed from them. They're perfectly safe to use for leather and skin care. They're heavier/thicker than natural oils, and in some cases that's good, b/c with natural oils they can easily soak into the leather but also wear out of the leather fast. I use petroleum jelly on my leather boots & backpack, and have for years. Rub it on firmly with your thumb/fingers. Don't "scrub" it in with a toothbrush or whatever. Most folks screw up leather by being overly abusive in applying cleaners/oils. Rub it in, let it soak in, wipe off excess. If your leather used to be very shiny, but has gotten cracked and dull, then wash it (saddle soap, or just white toothpaste), condition it with some mineral oil or petroleum jelly, then wipe off as much as possible and apply a light layer of leather laquer. This is only good for solid pieces that don't get flexed (eg: toes of leather shoes, not the parts that flex.) People have it in their heads that you have to use very special oils and junk for leather care. No. A $1 bottle of mineral oil or petroleum jelly will last a long time. You could use Murray's Beeswax hair pomade, too, which as petrolem jelly + beeswax, which adds extra layer of wax for waterproofing and protection.
ReplyDeleteUm... you're wrong. Oil is not just oil. Any more than refined salt is the same as sea salt. Mineral oil is made of alkanes and cyclic parafins while vegetable oils, and animal fats (oil when melted) is made of various saturated and unsaturated fatty acids...
DeleteWhat do you mean "natural oils"? Vegetable oils (Canola, Corn, etc) are not "natural" as they are some 100 years old and discovered in a lab. Olive oil, known long for it's properties is natural having been around for a long time (thousands of years). Animal fats, have been around even longer. But I am not sure calling tallow rendered from CAFO raised cattle would be considered "natural".
Using petroleum on leather does the same as using alkanes on anything... only metal machinery. I never used PJ on my children (couldn't stand the smell). Only thing I use PJ on is to keep the flies off my horses in the bad fly weather. Any leather company will tell you you're ruining your leather.
I totally agree with you on oils!!!
ReplyDeleteif u mix it with olive oil and petroleum jelly and apply to eyelashes it will make them longer, fuller, and less prone to breaking or falling out
ReplyDeleteCan.it help with stretch marks?
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the leather. I've used petroleum jelly for a quick fix on my leather boots, but for conditioning, I use a leather conditioner. I use a mix of mineral oil and petroleum jelly on my eyes at night (they get dry during the day from allergies and staring at the computer screen). It works better than the ten dollar tubes at the drugstore and, obviously, saves a lot of money. I haven't heard about any bad side effects and the ingredients are the same as Refresh.
ReplyDeletePetroleum is flammable, Glycerin is in glycol which contains alcohol. The product Astroglide was originally used to lubricate rocket assembly parts. I want to stretch my peppermint oil or extract in an oil. I am then coating cotton to put in places where spider enter. I saw that mineral oil is the base for many skin products including baby oil. Also seed oil is used, I just want the oil with the longest half like, It will dry eventually, Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteWhile exploring food preservation tips for emergency supplies, I found that experienced preppers applied mineral oil to the surface of eggs. This prevented air passing through the shell and it's this which allows them to keep for up to 9 months without refrigeration.
ReplyDeleteit works to fix stuck zipper
ReplyDelete