31 Different Uses For Lemons Other Than Eating Them

Lemons truly are miracle workers!

Look at all that they do around the house and how many ways we could use them in our everyday lives. I will never look at lemons the same way again! They are incredibly helpful!

The next time you're at the grocery store, pick up a few extra lemons while you're there and test out some of these incredible uses for lemons below!

1. Bleach Dishes
Berries and pomegranates can leave their mark. Fill the sink with warm or boiling water and lemon skins. Soak the dishes for three-to-four hours. Rinse and wipe dry.

2. Clean Microwaves
Combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1-1/2 cups water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 5 minutes, allowing the water to boil and the steam to condense on the walls and tops of the oven. Carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe away the mess with a wet sponge.

3. Deodorize Disposals
Chop leftover lemon peels into small pieces, toss them down the drain and run the disposal to grind them up.

4. Clean Tea Kettles and Coffee Pots
Remove mineral deposits from tea kettles by filling with water, adding a handful of thin lemon-peel slices and bringing to a boil. Turn off the heat and let sit for an hour. Drain and rinse well.

Do the same for coffee pots by adding ice, salt and lemon rinds to the empty pot. Stir for a minute or two then empty and rinse the pot.
5. Freshen the Fridge
Remove refrigerator odors by cleaning out offending items. Squeeze a teaspoon of lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. For extra-tough odors, wipe down surfaces with the cotton ball or sponge.

6. Repel Ants From Kitchen
Insets are repelled by D-limonen, an element found naturally in lemons. Keep creepy crawlers out of your kitchen by squirting lemon juice at window and door thresholds as well as cracks and holes in the walls. Also scatter lemon-peel slices at entrances.

HOUSE CLEANING

7. Deodorize The Home
Boil lemon rinds in a pot of water to rid your house of ugly odors. To deodorize the rest of the house, mix the juice of one lemon with a bag strong tea and place in an old spray bottle. Spray into the air to freshen rooms but avoid upholstered surfaces that could be bleached by the combination of lemon and sun.

8. Make Windows Sparkle

Mix the juice of one lemon with two tablespoons vinegar in a spray bottle. Fill with water and spritz on windows. Rub clean with a newspaper.

CLOTHES CLEANING

9. Remove Stains From Clothes
Remove unsightly underarm stains from shirts and blouses without environmentally harmful chemicals by scrubbing with equal parts lemon juice and water. You can also substitute white vinegar for the lemon juice.

10. Bleach Without Staining
For a stain-free, non-chemical bleach, soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for a half an hour and wash immediately. Lemon juice makes for a mild bleach, so it may not work on heavier stains.

11. Clothes Freshener
Give clothes a fresh scent by adding 2 teaspoons lemon juice along with the detergent while the water is running. Don't add the clothes until after the machine has filled.

BODY CARE

12. Sooth Sore Throats
Gargle a mixture of lemon juice, warmish tea and honey before bed. Helps ease sore throats and laryngitis.

13. Freshen Breath
Eliminate bad breath by gargling with lemon juice and water. The acid in lemons can eat tooth enamel, so make sure you rinse thoroughly.

14. Soften Feet

Make a paste of brown sugar and lemon pulp. Gently massage into the soles of your feet. Rinse and moisturize.

15. Create Blond Highlights
Shampoo hair and rinse with a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 3/4 cup water. Bask in the sun until your hair dries. Repeat daily for one week to maximize the effect.

16. Tighten Skin
Create a natural astringent lotions with lemons. Combine two lemons and 1-1/2 cups cool mineral water in a small bottle. Rinse your skin with the mixture to close pores after cleansing.

17. Lighten Age Spots
Bleach liver spots and freckles by applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let soak in for 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

18. Soften Dry Elbows
Use a half lemon sprinkled with baking soda to soften elbows. Just squinch your elbow around in the halved-lemon cup for several minutes. Rinse, dry and apply moisturizer.

 19. Refresh Skin In Summer

Rub lemon peels lightly into your skin on hot summer days for a nice skin tonic. Make sure you rinse thoroughly.

20. Exfoliate Skin
Make a paste with 1/2 cup sugar, olive oil and finely chopped lemon peel. Wet your body all over in the shower and massage the paste into your skin. Soap up, rinse thoroughly, dry off and apply moisturizer.

 

 

Image Source: Lauren Silverman

To see more of these awesome tips for lemon, check out this amazing article: 55 Amazing Uses For Lemons!