The Nutrient Dense Fruit That Packs a Punch
As you may already know, lemons are not only packed with flavor but they’re also packed with health benefits, and can be quite useful around the house too.
Here are 40 genius uses for lemon, from health to home and everything in between.
Sore Throat
Gargle with a lemon juice and water solution to relieve a sore throat.
Bad Breath
Gargle with a lemon juice and water solution to rid bad breath.
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Shiny Hair
After shampooing your hair, rinse with a lemon juice and water mixture (juice from one lemon + 8-ounces of warm water) to make it shine.
Upset Stomach
Sooth an upset stomach by sucking on a lemon.
Discolored Utensils
Clean discolored utensils with a cloth dipped in lemon juice. Rinse with warm water.
Fresh Scent
Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and smelling fresh.
Scour Chinaware
Use one part lemon juice and two parts salt to scour chinaware to its original luster.
Clean Faucets
Rub kitchen and bathroom faucets with lemon peel. Wash and dry with a soft cloth to shine and remove spots.
Remove Soap Scum
Fresh lemon juice in rinse water removes soap film from interiors of ovens and refrigerators.
Remove Odor on Hands
Fish or onion odor on your hands can be removed by rubbing them with fresh lemons.
Remove Odor on Wood
To get odors out of wooden rolling pins, bowls, or cutting boards, rub with a piece of lemon.
Don’t rinse: The wood will absorb the lemon juice.
Clean Copper Pots
Clean copper pots by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing the cut side with salt until the salt sticks. Rub the lemon onto the metal, rinse with hot water, and polish dry.
Deter Critters Outside
Save lemon and orange peels to use to deter squirrels and cats from digging in the garden. Store peels in the freezer during the winter, and then bury them just under the surface of the garden periodically throughout the spring and summer.
Insect Repellent
A few drops of lemon juice in outdoor house-paint will keep insects away while you are painting and until the paint dries.
Remove Rust
Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with two tablespoons of salt to make a rust-removing scrub.
Remove Scratches from Furniture
Remove scratches on furniture by mixing equal parts of lemon juice and cooking oil and rubbing it on the scratches with a soft cloth.
DIY Furniture Polish
To make furniture polish, mix one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil.
Clean White Marble or Ivory
To clean the surface of white marble or ivory (such as piano keys), rub with a half a lemon, or make a lemon juice and salt paste. Wipe with a clean, wet cloth.
Hardened Paint Brushes
To renew hardened paintbrushes, dip into boiling lemon juice. Lower the heat and leave the brush for 15 minutes, then wash it in soapy water.
Remove Paint from Glass
To remove dried paint from glass, apply hot lemon juice with a soft cloth. Leave until nearly dry, and then wipe off.
RealPeopleStudio, Shutterstock
DIY Air Freshener
Slice some lemons, cover with water, and let simmer in a pot for about an hour. (This will also clean your aluminum pots).
Aid in Weight Loss
Lemons contain pectin, a type of fiber found in many fruits. Pectin helps you feel full longer and you will, therefore not eat as much.
Aid in Digestion
The atomic structure of lemon juice resembles the digestive juices found in your stomach. When you drink lemon water, your liver is tricked into producing bile, which helps keep food moving through your gastrointestinal tract.
Fresh Scent
Before you start to vacuum, put a few drops of lemon juice in the dust bag. It will make the house smell fresh.
Whiten Socks
Make dirty cotton socks white again by boiling them in water with a slice of lemon. This will work for any white clothing/material.
DIY Cleaning Agent
Create a natural cleaning agent using vinegar and water. Add a few drops of lemon juice for a fresh scent, and the added cleaning power of lemon.
Eliminate Refrigerator Odors
Use a lemon to absorb lingering odors in your refrigerator. Soak a sponge or cotton ball in some fresh lemon juice, and place it in your fridge for several hours to absorb those odors.
Remove Permanent Marker Stains
You can use a mixture of lemon juice and cream of tartar to remove or treat permanent marker stains on fabric or upholstery.
Deter Bugs
Use lemon juice to repel pesky insects in your home. Squeeze some lemon juice into holes and cracks where you see ants coming in, and they’ll avoid the area in the future.
Wash Your Veggies
Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 8 ounces of water, and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray your fruits and veggies, let them sit for a few minutes, and then rinse them thoroughly with cold water.
Ease Inflammation
Lemon juice removes uric acid in your joints, which is one of the main causes of inflammation. Drinking lemon water can help alleviate inflammation.
Heal Cracked Heels
Remove the flesh out of one half of a lemon, then place the empty “shell” on your heel. Put a sock on to hold the lemon in place, and leave it for 30 minutes. The acid in the lemon juice will help slough off dead skin cells, leaving softer, smoother skin behind.
Clean a Stained Plastic Cutting Board
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto your stained cutting board. Use the lemon peel to spread the juice so it covers the stain, and to work the juice into the nooks and crannies of the cutting board surface.
Set the cutting board in the sun for several hours, and then wash it in soapy water.
Freshen Your Microwave
Make the interior easier to wipe down by heating a cup of water and a chopped-up lemon on high until the microwave's window is steamy. Let the bowl sit for 15 minutes before you open the door, and clean away any grime and grease with ease.
Get Rid of Weeds
Spray any garden offenders with a little lemon juice to banish them from your yard. But keep the juice away from the plants you want to keep — the acidity could damage or kill flowers and bushes, too.
Remove T-Shirt Sweat Stains
Fight those troublesome set-in stains by rubbing them with lemon juice (vinegar works well, too) before you toss the clothing in the wash.
Clean a Cheese Grater
Cheese graters can be tough to clean thoroughly when cheese hardens in the small holes. Run the flesh side of cut lemon over the tool to help cut through and free the residue.
Combat Dy Indoor Air
If the air in your home is dry, simmer a saucepan of water and lemon slices. It will add humidity to your air and freshen your home at the same time.
Combat Bacteria
Cleaning with lemon is a great way to fight bacteria as lemons have a natural antibacterial property.
To use lemon juice for cleaning, it should be applied to the surface after washing and left for five to 10 minutes before rinsing with hot water.
Clean the Toilet
To effectively remove water lines and rust stains from toilet bowls, the combination of laundry borax and lemon juice can be used to create a paste. This paste should be applied directly onto the affected areas and be left to work for at least two hours before being scrubbed away.
