25 Incredible Hacks Using Murphy Oil

Monica Gray - July 29, 2023

Photo: Reddit

It’s likely your mother and grandmother had a bottle of Murphy’s Oil lying around your house. It’s been one of the oldest cleaning tricks in the book for decades, mainly because it’s inexpensive and effective. Murphy Oil is gentle cleaner that gets the job done, oftentimes better than the more expensive cleaners out there. If you have a bottle of Murphy Oil lying around, pick it up and put it to use! There are tons of home hacks you can use the oil for, like cleaning, removing stains, and using it as a pesticide. According to Colgate-Palmolive, “Murphy Oil Soap does not contain ammonia, bleach, or oils. It contains plant-based and coconut-based cleaning agents, filtered water, and natural fragrance.” You can use it on pretty much anything, as long as it’s not finished wood floors.

Keep Your Furniture New

Furniture doesn’t come cheap, which is why it’s important to keep it as clean as possible. That means taking care of it to ensure your favorite pieces last a long time. This is where Murphy’s oil comes in. Apply the soap to wooden accents to remove dirt and add a nice, sparkling shine. Dip a rag in a mixture of Murphy’s oil and water and gently apply it (Apartment Therapy).

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Clean Stainless Steel Appliances

It’s difficult to clean stainless steel appliances, especially when you need to do it properly and make sure you don’t scratch anything. Since stainless steel is a luxury, you need to be especially careful with your routine cleans. Keeping it spic and span is important because if you don’t, these appliances tend to look smudged and dirty rather quickly. Luckily, that’s where Murphy’s oil comes in. It’s an incredible hack that’ll renew your stainless steel appliances for a glossy finish. To do this, use a weakened solution of Murphy’s oil, diluted in water. For the best results, use a microfiber cloth. Say goodbye to those annoying streaks and drips that never seem to leave for good (Houzz).

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Clean Your Car’s Exterior And Interior

Using a microfiber cloth, grab a bottle of Murphy Oil and pour a bit onto the tip of the cloth. Wipe the cloth on the interior and exterior of your car for a quick hack that has impressive results. Wipe away oil from your fingertips and pesky stains on your dashboard, steering wheel, car door handles, windshield, and upholstery. You don’t have to spend time and money bringing your car to the car wash as much as you used to. If the interior of your car is made of leather, it’s fine to use Murphy Oil as it contains propylene glycol (Quora).

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Clean Plastic Surfaces Like Toys And Trash Cans

There’s nothing worse than having your kid’s dirty toys lying around your home, or having dirty trash cans with smudges and stains sitting in your garage. To prevent the build-up of germs and sludge, use Murphy Oil to clean it. It’s safe to use on plastic and is a quick and simple solution, rather than trying to scrub it with regular soap. Dab some of the oil soap on a microfiber cloth and wipe the surfaces of your plastic items (Chemistry Cachet).

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Potter’s Wheel Lubricant

If you’re a clay enthusiast, you probably have a Potter’s Wheel sitting in your living room. And as much as you like to use it, you might dread the time when you have to clean it. Since store-bought Potter’s wheel lubricant can be costly, you can save money with the Murphy’s Oil hack. Simply pour some onto a cloth and scrub the potter’s wheel. The oils will also help prevent it from squeaking when you’re using it (Potters Passion).

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Remove Annoying Paint From Paint Brushes

Whether you paint for fun or as your profession, you know how hard it is to remove paint from paintbrushes. No matter how much you’ve tried to get that annoying, hardened paint off of your precious brushes, it never seems to come off. That’s where Murphy’s Oil comes in! You can soak your paintbrushes in water and Murphy Oil for a deep clean that removes the paint. Submerge the brushes completely and let them sit there for at least 24 hours. If there’s a lot of paint caked on the brush or the paint has been caked on for a while, you might need to soak it even longer (The Junk Parlor).

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Use With Your Magic Eraser

If you’re a fan of removing stains, pen marks, and scuffs, then you probably have a Magic Eraser lying around your house somewhere. There’s nothing better than waving your Magic Eraser wand and wiping away stains. But sometimes, they don’t fully get rid of stains, which is where Murphy’s Oil comes in. Those difficult stains are easier to remove with this dual combo, the Magic Eraser and Murphy Oil. Stains don’t have a chance once these two come into contact with it! (Pinterest).

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Clean Your Ceramic Tiles

There’s nothing more rewarding than walking into a kitchen or bathroom with sparkling, clean tiles that smell fresh. While soap does a good job at cleaning your tiles, Murphy Oil does an even better job. To clean your tiles, apply water, rubbing alcohol, oil soap, and baking soda to a cloth. Get scrubbing and then finish it off with a mop. Murphy’s Oil won’t wear down the grout or tile and is safe to use. The rubbing alcohol will get rid of mildew (Murphy Oil Soap).

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Refill Your Swiffer Jet

If you have a spray mop, you know it can get costly to keep replacing the solution, even if you’re not using it every day. Instead of heading to the store and buying the same answer, grab your bottle of Murphy Oil and use that instead. It’ll save you money and it’s just as effective, if not more, than the regular solution. To make the solution, add two tablespoons of Murphy’s Oil soap to water and stir. Use a funnel to pour the answer into your Swiffer Jet, or dip the bottom into the solution. Remember, Murphy Oil is not for real hardwood floors. (Curbly).

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Clean Your Wooden Banisters

If you have wood banisters in your home, you likely put them there as a focal point. They’re the first thing people’s eyes look to, so it’s important to keep them shining and clean. Over time, though, it’s likely they’ll get dirty and nasty, especially if you have little kids that like to touch the banisters. Murphy’s Oil will remove the grime and make it shine as if it’s brand new. As long as your railing isn’t finished wood and is waxed, then it’s safe to use Murphys Oil. The more you stay on top of cleaning it, the better it’ll shine. Use a drizzle of Murphy’s Oil on the edge of a sponge and rub it all over the wood in small circles to clean (Savoring the Good).

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Clean Leather Furniture & Clothing

As we’ve mentioned, Murphy’s Oil is safe to use on leather, which is good news for those of you with leather chairs in your living room or leather clothes. Not only will using Murphy’s Oil removes the need to go out and purchase harsh, expensive chemicals to clean your home, but you won’t have any of those strong odors that linger after using harsh chemicals. First, wipe off any visible dirt from your leather furniture with a rag, and then add Murphy Oil and water to the edge of the rag. Wipe away the dirt. It’s important to only moisten the furniture and not dampen it and only do small sections at a time to make sure you don’t damage your leather (Toms Leather Cleaning).

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Make Your Own Soft Scrub Cleanser

By combining baking soda and Murphy’s Oil soap, you can get those hard-to-clean areas of your home and make them shine. The baking soda will give you the extra scrubbing power and elbow grease you need to get that extra shine in. To do this properly, use two-thirds of a cup of baking soda and four tablespoons of Murphy’s Oil soap. Mix it until it resembles frosting, and once you’re happy with the consistency, you’re good to go (The Make Your Zone).

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Clean Painted Walls

When you’re cleaning your painted walls, you need to be especially careful not to chip the paint or create more smudges. If you have little kids or pets running around your house, you likely have at least one smudge or stain on your walls. To make your home look cleaner, use water and Murphy Oil to safely and gently remove stains on your painted walls. Mix the combination around a few times, soak the cloth, and then squeeze it to remove any excess water (Quora).

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Clean Your Garden Tools

It’s important to keep your garden tools clean, to give them a long shelf life. In the summertime, periodically clean your garden tools to remove dirt, sludge, and germs. And at the end of the summer, before you store them for the long winter, give them another scrub with water and Murphy’s oil. It’s an easy DIY solution to keeping your garden tools in shape (Calling It Home).

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Use As A Permanent Marker Remover

All parents know about the dreaded marker stain, whether it ends up on your wall, your floor, or your furniture. There’s nothing worse than finding a permanent marker stain in a place it shouldn’t be. Whiteboards suffer the most, and most of the time, that marker doesn’t stay on the whiteboard. You can remove marker stains on whiteboards and your wall using a combination of Murphy Oil and water. Use a cloth to blot the stain. As you blot, the marker will transfer to the cloth and remove it from the surface, whether it’s a wall, clothing, or furniture (How to Clean Stuff).

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Use As A Carpet Stain And Clothes Stain Remover

To remove pesky carpet stains from large areas, or to simply keep your carpet free from stains, add Murphy’s soap oil to your vacuum. If it’s in a small spot, you can add a small amount of Murphy’s oil as a spot-clean using a small cloth. Let the solution sit on the stain for at least thirty minutes to work its magic and penetrate the fibers. To disperse the solution, scrub the soap in a circular motion. When it’s finished, you can vacuum up the solution, or simply remove it with water and a clean cloth (Hunker).

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Use It To Clean Car Wheels And Hubs

Our car’s wheels pick up the most dirt and grime while driving. Over time, this builds up. It’s important to stay on top of cleaning your car to keep it in the best shape possible. You don’t have to take it to the car wash, you can simply apply a mixture of Murphy’s Oil soap and water and use it to dab your car wheels and hubs. It’s safe to use, easy, and a much more cost-effective solution. The most effective way to clean is to remove your car wheels from the car, spray them down, and scrub them (YouTube).

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Scrub The Kitchen Sink

Stainless steel sinks suffer the most. We’re constantly dumping dirty plates and used forks into them. Grease, old food, and dirt build-up, especially after heavy use. To properly clean your sink, wash away the grease with water, and then pour Murphy Oil all over your sink and scrub. You’ll end up with a beautiful, shining sink that looks as good as new. Say goodbye to bacon grease and butter! Be careful of pouring a lot of it down your drain so it doesn’t clog your pipes (Helpful Horse Hints).

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DIY Cleaning Wipes

Instead of going to the store and buying cleaning wipes, you can easily make your own. All you have to do is combine one cup of white vinegar, a tablespoon of baking soda, and one and a half tablespoons of Murphy Oil. Combine it all in two cups of warm water, and then soak microfiber towels in the solution. This solution will last a long time and is safer and more effective to use than the chemical wipes you buy at the store (Pinterest).

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Use It To Clean Wooden Cabinets

As we’ve mentioned, you can use Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean your wooden cabinets. It’ll add a beautiful shine to the exterior and interior of your wooden kitchen or bathroom cabinets. Because cabinets are one of the parts of your home that get the least amount of attention, they’re usually the dirtiest. Wood cleaners are expensive. Murphy’s Oil does the job just as effectively and for a way better price. Make use of that oil soap! It gets deep into the grime of dirt and sludge (Murphys Oil Soap).

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Prevent Cracking Of Laminate Floors

Even though it’s more cost-effective in the long run to install traditional wood flooring in your home, you might opt for laminate floors. To keep them in tip-top shape and prevent them from cracking and popping, apply the soap to your floor as you would with any cleaner. It takes less than a day for the oil to be effective and stop your floors from squeaking. To prevent leaving any streaks, apply it with mopping and the damp-dry method. It won’t dull or damage your floors, either (Yodeon Decor).

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Make Your Fixtures Shine

There’s nothing worse than fixtures that look cheap, dull, or dirty. This will affect the rest of your home and make your living room seem unkempt. To keep your fixtures shining, apply soap oil to restore their luster and shine (The Dollar Stretcher).

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Make An Organic Pesticide

To make an organic pesticide that’s easy to use, you need to get creative. That’s where Murphy’s Oil comes in. You can make an inexpensive, organic oil with Murphy’s Oil to reduce and limit the number of pests around your home. Use a cup of vegetable oil with a quarter cup of Murphy’s Oil soap. Put it into a spray bottle with water, shake it, and spray it around your home and outside in your garden and plants to prevent pesky pests from coming inside. They’ll get stuck in the oil and eventually die. Even though it’s unfortunate, it’ll keep you and your family safe and healthy. It’s time to enjoy your garden (Dining With Debbie).

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Clean Your Jewelry

Keeping your jewelry in top condition can get expensive and time-consuming. It’s important to keep them clean to make them last as long as possible. That’s where Murphy’s Oil comes in. If you mix one cup of soap with one liter of super-hot water, it’ll make your jewelry shine. To clean your jewelry, you can apply the soap using a small brush and paint the tiny crevices and hard-to-reach places. Before you let your jewelry dry, remove the soap (The Fun Times Guide).

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Clean Your Entire Bathroom And Face Basin

As we’ve mentioned, you can use Murphy Oil to clean your appliances, sinks, and floors. That means you can use it to clean your entire bathroom. All you need is a cloth, soap, and Murphy’s oil. You can pour the oil into your bathtub and scrub the surfaces. When you’re finished, rinse it off with oil. It’ll cover all the bases! Or, pour a mixture of water and Murphy’s Oil into a spray bottle and use that to clean your bathroom.

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