10 Crazy Things People Do With Old Oil
Check out this article for 10 crazy ways that people are still doing with their old motor oil.
Used motor oil is a nasty dirty thing and needs to be properly recycled. Unfortunately many people are not recycling it properly and it is ending up in our water supply. Although used motor oil is considered a carcinogen many people are unaware of this and have found crazy uses for their old motor oil. The following list of 10 crazy ways to use your used motor oil is definitely not recommended:
1 – Instead of buying a can of WD-40 some people, perhaps the more frugal ones put their used motor oil in a squirt can.
2 – Some handymen and women like to loosen up their rusty nuts and bolts by soaking them in a jar of old used motor oil.
3 – The SPCA needs to look into some dog owners that are still doing this old trick. Used motor oil can be used to treat mange in dogs. Simply rub the oil all over the dog and it will suffocate and deter mange, fleas, lice and other parasites. I definitely would advise against this one. Not only is it very messy, but also as mentioned earlier used motor oil is a known carcinogen.
4 – Instead of recycling their used motor oil after draining it out of their cars some people like to put it right into their lawnmowers.
5 – This one I found on a hunting forum. Did you know that wild pigs or hogs love the smell of oil? Well they do, and all you need to do is soak a burlap sack in a bucket of used motor oil, wring it out and then wrap it around a rope tied between two trees. Apparently pigs love the smell so much that they will rub up on the burlap to coat their skin in it. Some hunters swear by it, again I say no thanks.
6 – Some people fire up their chainsaws on the power of used motor oil. Yes, this actually can work if filtered properly.
7 – As a cheap way to protect the underside of their car from rusting, some DIY mechanics simply paint used motor oil on the bottom of their cars. Obviously they never take into consideration what kind of impact all this old oil will have on the environment as it drips back onto the road and works it way back into the water table.
8 – Some rural landowners like to use used motor oil as a protective paint on their wooden fencing.
9 – I’ve heard that some gardeners like to dampen a rag with used motor oil to wipe down all their garden tools. They say that this will help protect the metal from rusting and the wooden handles from drying out and cracking. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to stay away from contaminating the soil of my vegetable garden with tools covered in used motor oil.
10 – In the construction industry I have heard that some concrete workers brush a little used motor oil onto the wooden forms to help prevent the concrete from sticking. Likely all this residual oil washes away in the rain and works it way back into our drinking water. But hey, at least the sidewalk looks good.
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Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa.
This article about the 10 crazy ways people reuse motor oil was written with the help of Lube Oil Sales, an Amsoil dealer.
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