Some home cooks agree that sunflower oil belongs only in culinary recipes. However, it can be a lifesaver not only in cooking but also in everyday life, even in emergency situations when necessary medications and traditional protective equipment are unavailable. There are plenty of innovative ways to use it. Here are 10 useful ideas for using sunflower oil in everyday life.
Diaper rash remedy
Baby creams, powders, ointments, emulsions—you name it, they're all used on newborns to protect them from diaper rash under multiple layers of diapers. Meanwhile, a tried and true remedy is boiled sunflower oil and an ironed cloth or gauze diaper.
A tried-and-true method, approved by pediatricians, that's helpful when your baby has an allergic reaction to medications and cosmetics. It may stain the fabric, but it doesn't irritate it, soothing delicate skin and reducing inflamed redness. It's especially effective when combined with evening baths of string and celandine.
The oil should be changed every 2-4 days. It's better to change it more often than less, especially if you notice a bitter or musty odor or if flakes appear, which can happen with frequent contact with your hands and fabric. Pour loose sunflower oil into a jar or bottle and simmer in a double boiler (or over low heat in a large container of water, placing a folded cloth or diaper at the bottom) for 15 minutes. Cool. Seal the container. When applying the oil, pour it directly onto your hand, rather than dipping a napkin into it.
Burn treatment
If you store unrefined vegetable oil in the refrigerator, you'll have a ready-made remedy for burns. In case of an emergency (spilled with boiling water, scalded by steam, dropped an iron), generously apply the cooled oil to the painful area for two hours.
The heat will subside, the deeper layers of the skin will not be damaged, and the oil, warmed over time, will reduce inflammation, preventing complications and the death of the affected skin layers. Healing will be much faster, as the oil contains valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Natural cosmetics
Sunflower seed oil (preferably cold-pressed) is used in daily and weekly beauty treatments. It's used in rejuvenating and cleansing masks for the face, eyelashes, hair, and skin around the eyes, as well as massage creams and stimulating compresses. Suitable for all skin types, it's easy to apply to a cleansed face by gently tapping the skin with your fingertips. It absorbs well, neutralizing skin concerns, and can be easily removed with lukewarm water and herbal infusions.
Unrefined oil is used for de-moisturizing. Thanks to its fatty acids with pronounced antioxidant properties, tocopherol, inulin, and phytin, it not only removes makeup but also deeply oxygenates the skin and restores moisture lost under makeup. It also stimulates blood circulation and the protective functions of the dermis.
Banana and ginger mask
This composition can be prepared for pigmented and aging skin with a pronounced network of wrinkles.
Ingredients:
- medium-sized banana – 0.5 pcs.;
- unrefined (aromatic) oil – 1 tsp;
- ground (dry) ginger – a pinch.
How to cook:
Mash the banana into a liquid paste. Pour in the warm oil. Stir with a wooden or silicone stick. Add the ginger powder until smooth. Stir.
Apply the mask to your face for a third of an hour. No longer! Otherwise, your skin will turn red. Rinse with a decoction of linden blossom for dry skin, elderberry for oily skin, chamomile for normal skin, and St. John's wort for combination skin. Repeat the procedure 10 times every 3-5 days.
Clay mask with oil
Problematic aging skin with enlarged pores is corrected with the help of universal green or pink clay, which restores hydrobalance and enhances tissue microcirculation, and vitamin-rich aromatic oil.
Ingredients:
- clay (powder) – 1 tbsp;
- cooled boiled water - 0.5 cups;
- oil – 1 tsp;
- rosemary ether – 5 drops.
How to cook:
Pour water into the clay, stirring thoroughly until the mixture reaches the consistency of sour cream. Pour in the oil and stir. Add a drop of rosemary and stir again. Apply to the face with a silicone or wooden spatula. Leave on for no more than 15 minutes. Rinse. Apply every 7-10 days.
Cleaning chrome faucets
Shiny faucets and mixer taps in the bathroom and kitchen are the result of an oil wipe. Whitish streaks and a dull haze disappear under a paper towel soaked in a drop or two of oil. After the "oil dry cleaning," the faucets are wiped dry with a cloth—and they look like a mirror.
If you have cast iron cookware (cauldrons, frying pans, roasters) in your kitchen, it's helpful to dip a brush in oil and coat the bottom and inside. Just be sure to do this after the cookware has been washed and dried. This will prevent mold and rust from forming.
Paint remover
You sat on a stained bench and got sticky paint on your favorite jacket, shirt, or coat. This isn't a reason to get upset or immediately change your wardrobe. Everything can be restored. Sunflower oil can be a lifesaver. Apply it to the fresh, crusty stain. Let it sit on the stained garment for 10-15 minutes, and then wash thoroughly, using dishwashing liquid instead of powder.
You may be interested in:You can do the same with superglue on your fingers. Wet the glued fingers generously with oil. Rub it into the glued areas as thoroughly as possible. After a minute or two, scrub with a brush and rinse with plenty of soapy water.
Temporary lubrication
If your entry or interior door grommets have started squeaking annoyingly late at night, all the hardware and repair stores are long closed, and you don't have any suitable lubricant at home, sunflower oil will do the trick. Just apply a drop or two to each door hinge, and the squeaking will subside. While this may be a temporary, emergency measure (a professional lubrication with machine or diesel oil is essential within a week or two), it provides immediate relief.
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Sunflower oil lubricant is also a great choice when harsh cleaners are undesirable: stretch a hose over a faucet or around metal or plastic joints (like garden irrigation systems). The oil won't damage the material of the equipment, food processing units, or plumbing. The odor dissipates, and the enveloping film washes off without a trace.
You may be interested in:Odor diffuser
If you've been chopping onions and cutting garlic and can't seem to remove the pesky ombre stain from your wooden kitchenware, soak a cloth (preferably a paper one you don't mind throwing away) in oil and thoroughly wipe the cutting board, knife handle, and countertop. Then rinse with hot water. The smell will disappear.
You can get rid of fishy odors in the same way. You can also eliminate odors in the refrigerator by wiping all the shelves with a sponge/cloth/napkin soaked in sunflower oil. You can wipe them down immediately, or leave them as is, if the film doesn't interfere.
Grater assistant
If you need to shred soft cheese into a salad (it always tends to smear across the grater and form untidy lumps), grease the grating edge with oil. The cheese will slide like a sled down a snowy hill, obediently separating into neat strips.
But remember that cheese absorbs odors (like any porous product), so in this case, it's best to use odorless, refined butter. It's even better if it's stored in the refrigerator, not near the stove.
You may be interested in:Removing gum
The child is in tears – someone stuck gum in his hair at school, causing it to become tangled and matted. The gum is stuck to the sole of his foot, making it difficult to walk. Someone stuck chewed bubble gum to the armrest of a chair or under the tabletop. It's disgusting and offensive.
There's no need to trim your hair. If it's short, simply wipe away any stuck locks with a cotton pad or swab soaked in oil. If it's long, pour the oil directly onto the sticky substance. It will dissolve in 5-7 minutes and slide off. To be sure, comb your braids with a fine-tooth comb. Rinse with shampoo.
The nasty, hardened gum can be removed from furniture and shoe soles using a similar method. Apply a paper towel soaked in deodorant oil (it won't leave a mark even on polished surfaces) to the stained area. Let it sit and then crumple it up with the dissolved gum. If it doesn't come off the first time, try again.
Border strip for ants
If you're planning a picnic outside the city, storing bulk food in your summer kitchen or cottage, and don't want to share it with the ubiquitous ants, create a customs control zone with a closed entry point. Pack your food supplies into bags or containers, grease the rims and edges, and the cordon is closed. For insects, this is a formidable barrier that's impossible to cross.
If you're planning a campsite on the ground, setting out treats on a plastic or cellophane tablecloth, you can grease its edges in the same way. Not a single bug will be able to climb onto the makeshift table, much less into a bowl of prepared treats. Unfortunately, this protection won't work against flies, only against crawling "guests."
https://youtu.be/_iGXRBQWCHs
And these are just ten unusual yet beneficial uses for sunflower oil. The list can be expanded daily. The possibilities and secrets of using sunflower seed pulp are as numerous as the number of seeds in a sunflower.
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