Tangy, zingy lemons are an essential item for cooks. Their deliciously sour juice is useful for all sorts of dishes, as a salad accompaniment or in baking. But did you know the power of the lemon doesn’t stop in the kitchen? There are, in fact, many, many other uses for one of our favorite fruits. We’ve collated 12 of the best alternative and awesome uses for lemons below. Check them out!
Use a lemon to clean your shower fixtures. Yup, it really works.
Boil up a pot with three lemons, halved, add a teaspoon of vanilla and boil till there’s no water left, to create an excellent home air freshener.Â
Dandruff treatment: Boil the rinds of 3-4 lemons in 4-5 cups of water. Once cooled, massage into hair. Leave for ten minutes and wash as usual. Do this at least once a week.Â
Get rid of food smells from your hands after cooking with a squeeze of lemon juice.Â
Use as as deodorant! Yup, that’s right the citric acid in lemons kills odor-causing bacteria. So grab a wedge and rub it on!
Hair lightener: Comb lemon juice through your hair and sit in the sun for 20 minutes to let it do its work.
Get out tough stains from fabric by simply squeezing lemon juice mixed with cream of tartar onto the stain, pre-wash. Wait for 30 minutes before washing. Great for sweat stains.
Skincare: lemons, with their citric acid and vitamin C, are great for all manner of skin ailments. Make a home made facial scrub to rid yourself of blocked pores, use to brighten fingernails, remove dark spots, and more!
Remove spots of rust from your knives by soaking them in lemon juice!
Use as a natural preservative. For sliced fruit and vegetables, either spritz the juice on, or soak in a water bowl to prevent browning. You can also perk up droopy lettuce leaves by soaking them in a bowl of water and lemon juice for an hour.
Clean your microwave: submerge lemon slices in a bowl of water, microwave for ten minutes, then let sit for ten minutes, before wiping clean as a whistle!
Treat bug bites with a spray of lemon juice. It’ll calm them right down.Â
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