10 brilliant uses for coconut oil

Guarantee a smooth shave

Oops! You forgot to pick up shave gel at the drugstore and you need to shave before heading to the pool. The in-a-pinch swap that works just as well? Coconut oil. Simply apply a thin coat over legs and shave as usual, then rinse. The slick oil allows the blade to glide over your skin, ensuring your legs are soft and silky.

Make litter box cleaning a breeze

Clumps of litter always get stuck to the bottom of your cat’s litter box, making it nearly impossible to clean. What can help: Next time you replace her litter, use a paper towel to rub coconut oil on the bottom of the litter box before adding litter. The oil, which is safe for animals, will leave the pan’s surface slick, so litter won’t stick to it.

Eliminate rust on a knife

If you find that your trusty kitchen knife has started to develop rust spots, try this: Dip a washcloth in coconut oil and carefully rub it over the blade. Place the knife on a paper towel, let sit for an hour, then rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly. Acids in the oil break down the rust, so your knife looks—and works!—like new.

Lift unwanted crayon marks

The little one in your life was a bit too enthusiastic during craft time and got crayon all over your table. To get rid of the marks, dip a paper towel in coconut oil and rub it over the marks, then wipe the table with a damp washcloth to remove the oil residue. Coconut oil’s lauric acid will dissolve the crayon residue, leaving your table spotless.

Remove a stubborn price tag

To remove the sticker on the new vase you picked up to display the gorgeous flowers from your garden, spread coconut oil over the tag, let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe off. The oil’s fatty acids will break down the sticker’s adhesive.

Quickly light a campfire

An easy way to get a fire roaring: Coat a few cotton balls in coconut oil, toss them onto the logs and use a long match to ignite. The flammable oil will catch fast and burn long, so you can sit in front of the fire for hours.