Culture & Education | Wednesday 22 April, 2015 12:24 am |

Olive oil is an integral part of many cuisines. From the Middle East to Europe, the olive branch has been representative of many cultures and olive oil production has contributed to the growth of many economies. Tunisia, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon are amongst the top producers of olive oil in the Middle East, with Tunisia ranking the second worldwide.

The uses of olive oil are as variant as the flavours, even outside the kitchen. In addition to enhancing your taste buds, here are some clever uses for olive oil from Helpling (www.helpling.ae), the global online platform for home services.

To clean wood surfaces

To nourish and shine the wooden furniture, pour olive oil on a piece of cloth and gently rub the targeted surface. When finished, use a dry cloth to remove excess oil.

To eliminate odors

To eliminate odors that come from the kitchen sink, pour few drop of olive oil mixed with an aromatic oil of your choice into the drain. Bad odors will be absorbed and replaced with a pleasant scent.

To remove residue glue

If you have glue leftover on plastic or leather, you can easily remove it by using a cloth dipped in olive oil. Rub onto the affected area gently remove any excess with tissues.

To restore shine to the plants

If your houseplants have lost their shine, feed them olive oil! Pour a few drops on a piece of cloth and rub gently each leaf separately and the green will shine again. Also, when watering the plants add a few drops of olive oil to the water, this will give them additional nourishment.

To polish leather shoes

If you have any old leather shoes that have lost their shine, treat them with an olive oil rub to make them nice and shiny again, like new!

Dusting shelves

Do you have continuous issues dusting shelves because it always seems that the dust never sticks to the wiper or cloth you are using? Use a cloth with a little bit of olive oil on it and your problem will be solved!