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Key Points
- Coconut oil is powerful for removing stains and softening laundry.
- Coconut oil is also ideal for polishing cast iron pots and refreshing shower doors.
- Avoid using coconut oil on materials like leather, silk, and delicate fabrics as it can stain.
There are some shapeshifting household staples that never fail to blow us away with all their uses. Coconut oil is no exception. Aside from serving as a useful cooking and skincare ingredient, it doubles as a great cleaning solution, too.
Have a jar handy? There are plenty of ways you can use coconut oil around the house for cleaning and laundry; here are eight, backed by experts.
Meet the Expert
- Sophia Ruan Gushée is the author of A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide To Reducing Our Toxic Exposures, and the founder of Ruan Living.
- Melia Long is a laundry expert and executive laundry pro at Poplin.
Moisturize Cast Iron Pots
If your sturdiest cooking companions are looking a little worse for wear, coconut oil can restore cast iron.
“I use it to cook, moisturize my cast iron pots and pans, wooden cutting boards, and wooden salad bowls, remove makeup, moisturize my skin, and even as a wood cleaner and polisher,” says Sophia Ruan Gushée, founder of Ruan Living.
Add a small chunk of oil to your pot or pan, then rub it around, forming a light layer. You can then heat it in the oven. There are many other oils for hearty seasoning, but this is a great option for in-between uses.
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Use Coconut Oil as a Stain Remover
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
Stains are a pain, and some seem impossible to remove. If your favorite T-shirt has been tainted with an unknown splotch, break out the coconut oil and add it to your stain-removing arsenal.
“Coconut oil is high in natural fats, which actually do well at tackling sticky residues and other oils,” explains laundry expert Melia Long. “It’s effective for tough stains with dirty laundry, but I especially recommend mixing it with baking soda.”
She says this mixture creates a paste that’s gentle on surfaces but still has a little grit for removing gunk and stains. After mixing it up, apply and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes, then wash your item in cold water.
Polish Wood with Coconut Oil
One of Gushée’s go-to ways to use coconut oil is as a wood polish. Her recipe involves mixing 1/4 cup fractionated coconut oil, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and about 20 drops of essential oil (her favorites are lemon and orange) into a spray bottle.
“It’s the best for my wooden dining tables,” she says. “It appears to deeply moisturize the wood as it also cleans it—and the essential oil makes the table and room smell great.”
You can also use this on wooden cutting boards, bowls, and handles. Buff it in with a soft cloth and enjoy the like-new results.
Soften Laundry with Coconut Oil
DIYing your own laundry detergent is sustainable and a great way to know what’s in your cleaning products. If you’re looking for a natural softening agent, you can turn to coconut oil.
“It’s also generally moisturizing and gentle, so it’s less likely to damage most fabrics,” says Long. “For people who care about clean and biodegradable options, it’s also a good choice.”
Cleaning Up Crayon and Other Sticky Messes
Another way you can clean with coconut oil is by using it to tackle sticky, waxy, and stubborn messes, particularly those that are oil-based. An example of this is peanut butter or crayon stains. The high level of fat within the oil breaks down other oils, bringing your countertops, walls, and other surfaces back to normal.
Refresh Shower Doors
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Our team member Candace used coconut oil to remove scale and water stains from her shower doors with exceptional results. Mixing liquidized coconut oil (just heat it up in the microwave) and a touch of lemon juice, she buffed the concoction onto the glass. Then, she used a vinegar and water mixture to wipe it off. What was left were sparkling clean panels.
If you’re finding that other cleaners aren’t breaking down the fogginess and droplet shapes on your shower, this could be the fix that restores clarity.
Clean Grease Stains Off Cooking Surfaces
Another Spruce team-approved tip? Use coconut oil to get grease off kitchen appliances and features, like your stovetop, backsplash, and range. Again, oil breaks down oil, so those cooking splatters that seem cemented onto your surroundings will come off more easily with a little support from coconut oil.
Fix Squeaky Doors
Don’t sweat if your trusty can of problem-solving WD-40 is out of commission. You can lubricate door hinges with a little dab of coconut oil. Add a small amount onto a microfiber cloth and carefully apply to the noisiest hinges around your home—just watch your fingers!
