How to Clean Rancid Oil

I have a Misto Olive Oil sprayer that sat unused for a few years while it was loaded with oil.  The oil became rancid, and left this smelly, sticky residue that was not only impossible to wash off the sprayer, but also off your fingers after touching it.  First, I tried hot water and soap with intense brushing.  That didn’t work well.  There was still yellow residue all over it, and it still felt sticky, and stank.  Even leaving it in soapy water for a few days didn’t help.  I searched the Internet, and found a recommendation for vinegar, but that didn’t work.  Then I read that boiling soapy water would work, so I tried soaking it in boiled soapy water.  The yellow residue finally washed off, but it still stank, and was still slightly sticky after a few tries.

At this point, I’d already wasted so much time and effort that I was ready to just throw it out.  Then, I remembered that I had some OxiClean that I bought from Costco years ago.  I wasn’t sure if it was safe for food, so I read the label, which recommended it for cleaning teapots.  I mixed one scoop of OxiClean with 32oz of very hot (not boiling) water, and left it to soak for 3 hours. The results were pretty amazing. The residue is completely gone … no more stickiness .. and the stinky smell is also completely abolished.  Amazing! Not only that, the stainless steel bits are all shiny, and look new again.  I wish I’d thought of the OxiClean before wasting a few days with the other ideas.

* I have absolutely no financial ties to OxiClean or Costco. *