You know the saying; “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. When people think of lemons, they don’t think of them as much more than just a fruit. A fruit that gives sour juice for you to drink. But, you’ll be surprised that that’s not all that this fruit’s good for. Here are a few extra uses that you can get out of a lemon.
Polish Silverware
After enough time, all silverware starts to get dull or rusted. Polishing your utensils regularly is important to prevent this. Many people use specific polishes, but there is another option. Mix together salt with some lemon juice and you’ve got a great paste that you can rub over your silverware. And after letting it sit for a few minutes, rinse off the past. Then just polish until its dry.
Insect Repellent
Lemons actually make a great insect repellent. Spritzing some lemon juice around the window sills and jams prevents ants from entering the house. Although, it will have to be done more frequently. Sticking cloves into the two halves of a fresh lemon will also rid your backyard of mosquitoes.
Shampoo
Not only is an itchy scalp uncomfortable, but the flakes left on your shoulders can lead to some embarrassment. There are shampoos that help with dandruff, but lemons are pretty helpful too. You just need two tablespoons of lemon juice rubbed into your scalp. Then you rinse it out with water. Repeat this every time you wash your hair until the dandruff’s all gone.
Antibiotics
Did you know that lemons have antibacterial properties? They’re actually pretty good at helping rid yourself of infections. You can take care of them with a combination of lemon, salt, and warm or hot water. The concoction can be used for ears and the throat. Although, for more serious infections you should probably still see a doctor.
Curing Toothaches
Do you have problems with toothaches or bleeding gums? If so, grab a lemon. The acidity and antibacterial properties of the fruit can help alleviate both when used properly. Just massage the juice in the affected area. It’ll burn, but that just means its doing its job. If its burns too much though, rinse it out as soon as possible.
Cleaning Fluid
Cleaning fluids can get pretty expensive and may also include ingredients that aren’t safe for people. But that’s why lemons are so useful. Peel lemons and mix it with some vinegar in a spray bottle, then let it sit for a night. Then just add in water to fill the bottle and shake. Now you’ve got an all-purpose cleaning spray.
Refresh Your Cutting Boards
Cutting boards can get many marks on them after a while of use. And the more marks they get, the more prone to gathering bacteria they are, as well as an overall shortened lifespan. However, get some lemon and salt and scrub the board with a sponge and you won’t have to worry about that anymore. Just let the lemon juice stay for 15 minutes, repeat, and rinse the board off before letting it air dry.
Brighten Whites
It can be hard to keep your white clothes looking white. Bleach is one option, but its a harsh chemical that affects the fabric’s integrity. Turns out lemons are a good alternative. Mix lemon juice with baking soda and hot water, then poor it in your washing machine. Although, you should let it sit for about 30 minutes before running your whites through a wash cycle like normal.
Cleaning Nails
Cucumbers aren’t the only food good for luxury living. Lemons are actually really good for cleaning your nails and giving you a manicure. Just take a cup of warm water or a bowl and juice a lemon into it. The lemon will not only clean your nails but also help get you some necessary vitamins into your nail beds.
Eradicating Odors
No matter what, certain areas in your house are bound to accumulate odors. Whether they be in your trash can, garage, or even fridge. Fortunately, a lemon can help alleviate those issues. There are a couple different ways you can take care of bad smells, but most often is a deep cleaning with a sponge soaked in lemon juice. You won’t even have to rinse it off once you’re done.
Candles
People like the smell of candles. They also like the smell of lemons. So why not make a candle out of lemons? Cut the lemons in half and remove the fruit’s flesh. Then heat up wax from old candles and pour it into the cups you made with the lemons. Then just put in a wick and light it up. You’ve just made a nice-smelling and effective candle.
Cleaning Your Pits
Discoloration in your armpits can be a bit of a problem. You may want to bleach it back to its original color, but aren’t sure how to go about doing that. Fortunately, there are lemons. The acid not only helps bleach your skin but also gets rid of dead skin cell. Just rub a cut lemon under your arm every day before you take a shower. Then lotion the area afterwards. You’ll notice a considerable difference after only a week.
Keep Light-Colored Veggies From Browning
With or without heat, lighter-colored vegetables will often brown quickly. But you can use a lemon to try to mitigate these effects. Putting a lemon juice dampened towel will help keep those vegetables, like cauliflower, from browning too soon.
Taking Care Of Cold Symptoms
If you’ve had a sore throat or had a cold, your mother probably gave you some hot tea with honey and lemon. Well, there is a reason to that. The two ingredients together help alleviate symptoms of minor illnesses. The lemon specifically reduces phlegm and helps improve any respiratory issues. Being packed with vitamin C helps too. Its an antioxidant that helps boost the immune system.
Preventing Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are when too many crystal-forming substances, like calcium, accumulate in the body. Ordinarily, you can pass smaller ones through peeing, even if its a little painful, but larger ones might even require surgery. They’re not fun, so it’s probably best to prevent them. Drinking water with lemon juice is a pretty good way to do that. It increases your urine’s citrate levels which will help keep everything functioning as it does normally.
Wrinkle Care
Whether its from stress or something else, many people can get wrinkles before expected. And those wrinkles often bother people. While they may not get rid of wrinkles altogether, lemons can help decrease free radicals, which often create wrinkles. Drinking water and lemon consistently will help your body combat them. Additionally, you can create a face wash with lemon to help out with wrinkles.
Lighten Age Spots
Age spots are another skin blemish that will likely appear as you get older. A change in your skincare regiment may be necessary. But rather than spending a lot of money on certain products, just get some lemons. Rubbing a cut lemon over the age spot will help lighten its colorization. Just let the juice sit for about 15 minutes and then wash it off.
Give Yourself Highlights
Going to a salon to get highlights can be a bit of a hassle. So why not do it yourself? And for cheap too. Just juice a quarter cup’s worth of lemons and add in some water to make it a full cup. Then just rinse your hair with the mixture and sit out in the sun until your hair dries out. Depending on the look your going for, you may have to repeat the process a couple of times.
Moisturize The Air
The air can get dry and musty in the winter months. This is especially prevalent since you may be less able to open the doors and windows to let fresh air in. Fortunately, lemons can help out with that a bit. Fill a pot with water and add some lemon rings with other herbs and spices. Then just boil the pot on the stove before turning it down to simmer.
Get Rid Of Stains On Marble
Being made from petrified calcium, marble can actually stain. Fortunately, lemons can help you prevent that. Cut a lemon in half and dip it in coarse salt. Then just rub the lemon over the stain vigorously. But make sure to rinse immediately after you’re done. The acid can cause damage to the marble if its exposed to it for too long.
Soften Your Elbows
Having dry and itchy elbows isn’t just visually unappealing, but it doesn’t feel great either. Fortunately, you can actually make a paste from lemons to act as a lotion. Combine lemon juice with baking soda, then just rub it on your elbows. It’ll exfoliate your skin, but then rinse the area with water and more lemon juice. Then just rub in some olive oil and dab it dry with a soft towel.
Headache Relief
When you get a headache, the first thing you want is a pain reliever like Tylenol. But, regardless of what you use, you are using a drug. However, there is an herbal remedy that you can try instead. Squeezing some lemon juice into hot tea and drinking that can help alleviate the pain from a headache.
Relieving Poison Ivy Itchiness
Every outdoorsman or woman has probably had to deal with the itchiness that is poison ivy. And it’s absolutely horrendous. Most people that are affected by it bath in calamine lotion, but you can actually use a lemon instead. Cut one and apply the juice to the affected area. It’ll sting at first, but it will eventually sooth the itching start to get rid of the rash.
Removing Warts
Sometimes it seems as though the only surefire way to remove a wart is through surgery. Well, it may not get rid of them, but lemons can at least help. Squeeze some of the lemon juice onto a cotton swab and dab the wart, repeating the process for about a week. The acid from the lemon will eventually dissolve the wart.
Gardening
When it comes to fledgling gardens, lemons can make for an excellent pot for seedlings. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze out the juice and lemon seeds. Then put the seeds your looking to grow in the lemon before burying it in your chosen soil. The lemon can act as either a pot or just fertilizer if outdoors. The lemon rind makes for excellent compost for the plants.
