Mucilages and mucilage extracts are disclosed that are effective as water-soluble, non-toxic, biodegradable, environmentally benign lubricants and/or coolants for a variety of industrial and machining purposes. One embodiment of the invention is a cooling and/or lubricating composition comprises a sufficient amount of the mucilage to cool and/or lubricate a machining surface. Other embodiments further comprise a sufficient amount of a preservative to substantially inhibit degradation of the composition. Also encompassed within the scope of this invention are methods for making mucilage-comprising cooling and/or lubricating compositions, as well as concentrating and drying such compositions. Other aspects of this invention are methods for machining a surface, comprising extracting a mucilage, adding a sufficient amount of a preservative to substantially inhibit degradation of the mucilage to form a mucilage mixture, applying the mucilage mixture to a surface to be machined, and thereafter machining the surface. In another aspect, the invention provides methods for lubricating and/or cooling a machining surface comprising extracting a mucilage, adding a sufficient amount of a preservative to substantially inhibit degradation of the mucilage to form a mucilage mixture, and applying the mucilage mixture to the machining surface to act as a lubricant and/or coolant. A farther aspect of this invention is the use of plant mucilages to coat the outer hull of watercraft, thereby reducing friction and drag, and increasing the speed of the craft. Optionally, such a composition may further comprise a cream wax.