10 brilliant uses for cooking spray

Silence a noisy bike chain

Warmer weather means more chances to hit the park for a scenic bike ride with your family. The only problem? Your bike’s chain squeaks every time you pedal. To nix the noise, spritz the chain liberally with cooking spray, then wipe it with a clean cloth. The spray will lubricate the chain to eliminate the squeaking so you can enjoy your ride.

Polish chrome for pennies

To get your bathroom fixtures sparkling in a pinch, reach for cooking spray. Simply spray a small amount over the chrome and let sit for a few minutes, then wipe the fixtures clean with a dry cloth. The oil will dissolve any built-up soap scum and lime deposits to restore shine.

Remove gum from hair

Oops! The bubblegum-blowing contest your cutie held with her friends had a bit of a sticky ending. To get it out of hair painlessly, spray the gum with cooking spray and slowly wiggle the sticky stuff out using your fingers. The oil will moisten the hair and break down the gum’s bond, allowing you to pull it out easily. Wash hair as usual afterward.

Easily clean a dog’s food dish

After Comet finishes chowing down on his favorite wet food, the remnants harden into a crusty, tough-to-remove mess in the bowl. To prevent this from happening, lightly spritz the inside of the bowl with cooking spray before filling it. The slick spray (which is safe for him to ingest) will keep the food from sticking to the bowl.

Smudge-proof your manicure

You just did your nails, but you don’t have time to wait for them to dry. To speed things up, wait 30 seconds after applying the top coat, then spritz with cooking spray. The oil will dissolve the solvent in the polish (the ingredient that keeps it “wet”), helping it dry faster.

Help guacamole stay fresh

Homemade guac is one of your family’s favorites—until it turns brown and no one will eat it. The save: Spray the top of the dip with flavorless cooking spray. The oil creates an air-blocking barrier to prevent the guacamole from oxidizing and turning brown.

Keep oven racks from sticking

Lately whenever you try to pull out your oven rack to check on a dish you’re cooking, the racks stick, causing the contents to spill out and make a mess. The fix: Spray a cotton ball with cooking spray and run it over the sides of the racks. The slick spray will lubricate the racks and you’ll be able to slide them out without a struggle.

Protect garden tools from rust

Ensure your gardening shears, trowels and spades last longer with the help of cooking spray. To do: Clean the tools, then spritz cooking spray onto a paper towel and use it to wipe the metal on each item. The pantry staple will create a protective coating that repels rust-causing moisture, so your tools will look—and work—like new all season.

Wax-proof a candleholder

You love decorating with candles when you have guests over for dinner, but the candle wax always ends up sticking to the candlesticks, leaving you with a tough cleaning job. To prevent the problem, mist the inside of each holder with cooking spray, then insert the candle. The oil will create an invisible barrier that keeps wax from sticking to the candleholder, minimizing cleanup.

Lift paint from skin effortlessly

The landscape you painted at your art class looks fantastic. Your paint-covered hands? Not so much. To remove oil-based paint, coat your skin with cooking spray, then rub it in. The spray will help break down the oils in the paint, making it easy to wash the color off with soap and warm water.