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I’m sure most of you have a can of cooking spray in one of your kitchen cupboards. That handy little spray can makes it quick and easy to grease baking pans and cookie sheets! But when it comes to useful ways to use cooking spray, it turns out that greasing your brownie pan is just the tip of the iceberg!
Related: 9 Unexpected & Useful Things You Can Do With Vegetable Oil
Today I’ll be sharing 13 additional ways to put cooking spray to good use, both in the kitchen and beyond! These brilliant tips will save you both time and effort, so much so that you’ll wish you had known them sooner! And if you have a use for cooking spray that isn’t listed here, I would love to hear about it! Drop me a line in the comments on this post, and you and your tip could be featured in a future blog post.
13 Ways To Use Cooking Spray
1. Silence Squeaks
Any sort of oil can help silence squeaky hinges, chains, and other metal parts. But not all of those oils come in a handy spray can like cooking spray does! Just spray a little bit of oil onto the squeaky area, then enjoy the silence that follows. :-)
2. Remove Bugs
You know those bugs that get splattered on the front of your car? Sometimes they can seem downright impossible to remove! But instead of struggling and potentially damaging the paint, go grab your can of cooking spray! Spray a bit onto the stubborn bug, wait a few seconds, then use a microfiber cloth to wipe the area clean.
3. Loosen Locks
Sometimes locks get stiff and hard to turn, but there’s an easy fix for that. Just coat the key to the lock in a bit of cooking spray, then use the key to lock or unlock the door. The cooking spray will transfer to the mechanisms inside the lock, and it will help make things glide a little easier!
4. Make Popcorn
Instead of buying a special popcorn oil for making homemade popcorn, just use your can of cooking spray! It makes it much easier to achieve an even coating of oil on the kernels, which is one of the keys to perfect popcorn!
Related: 2 Ways To Make Amazing Homemade Popcorn In Your Microwave
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5. Prevent Stains
I’m sure many of us have a few food storage containers that are now slightly orange due to tomato sauce stains. But here’s a tip that can help you keep it from happening again! Before filling the container, coat the inside with a bit of cooking spray. When you put your leftovers inside, the cooking spray will act as a barrier between the plastic and the food, which should prevent the reaction that stains your containers.
6. Go Fish
A light coat of cooking spray on your fishing line can help you cast farther. The oil will keep the line from getting snagged on itself, so there’s less resistance as it unspools.
7. Grating Cheese
At one of our recent planning meetings, someone mentioned how hard it is to clean dishes that have cheese on them. So this is a very timely tip! The next time you go to grate cheese, coat the inside and outside with a bit of cooking spray first. The cheese will slide easily, you’ll get fewer clumps, and clean-up will be MUCH easier!
8. Shoveling Snow
Shoveling snow is already hard enough, but it can be downright infuriating if you’re struggling with a stubborn shovel! One way to make it easier is to spray both sides of your snow shovel with cooking spray. The light coating of oil will help your shovel slice through snow and ice, and the snow will slide right off the shovel! Your driveway will be clear in no time.
9. Paint Your Nails
After painting your fingernails, give them a quick spray with cooking oil. Not only does it help set the polish and help it dry faster, but it will also moisturize your cuticles!
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10. Clean Soap Scum
Cooking oil can help break down stubborn mineral deposits and soap scum in your tub or shower. (Just make sure to wash the area thoroughly afterwards – you don’t want anyone to slip and fall!) A tiny spritz of cooking spray can also make your faucets and fixtures really shine!
11. Shape Patties
Your hands are often your best tools in the kitchen, but sometimes it turns into a sticky situation! You can make many hands-on tasks (like shaping burger patties) easier by coating your clean hands with a layer of cooking spray. No more sticking!
12. Measure Sticky Liquids
Measuring honey, molasses, and maple syrup can be a pain, because once you put them in the measuring cup, they tend to want to stay there. So next time you’re measuring out something sticky, coat the measuring cup with cooking spray first. The sticky liquid will slide right out!
13. Slicing & Dicing
How is anyone supposed to dice or mince foods when they won’t come off your knife? The easy answer is to coat your knife with cooking spray first! The food will slide much more easily off your knife, so you can finish faster. (This is especially helpful for sticky stuff like garlic!)
