12 Surprising Uses of Lemons

Lemons are one of the most versatile fruits out there. We are not just talking about in cooking! Lemon can act as an acid, a natural disinfectant, a good cleaner and one of the most effective beauty ingredients. Let’s check out some off the easy yet surprising uses of lemons to make your life simpler.

HOME & CLEANING

1. Overcome Odors

Keep a couple of lemon peels in your fridge to avoid unpleasant smells.

2. Clean Plastic Containers

Reusing plastic food containers is a great way to reduce waste, but smells can linger forever. Overcome that stink by soaking the container in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water.

3. Clean Cutting Boards, Rolling Pins, Salad Bowls, and More

Cutting boards and other wooden kitchen products are germ, and funky smell, hotbeds. Lemon works very well on both odors and bacteria. After you’ve washed your cutting board, rub half of a lemon over the wood and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and dry.

4. Polish Chrome and Stainless Steel

Forget that sponge, lemon is an excellent mild abrasive and works wonders for chrome and stainless steel. Scrub the metal with lemon rinds, rinse, and towel dry.

BEAUTY & FASHION

5. Replace Toxic Bleach

Skip the bleach in your laundry by adding half cup lemon juice to the wash instead.

6. Remove Armpit Stains from Clothes

Scrub a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water onto the stain, then let the dress air dry.

7. Lighten Nails

As we age, our nails start to turn yellow. To remove that yellowness from your nails, soak your nails in a cup of water and the juice of one lemon. Soak for a few minutes and rinse.

8. Sanitize Jewelry

Safety first! You can sanitize metal jewelry in a mixture of equal parts lemon and water. Just skip your fanciest gems and metals here, though.

FOOD & DRINK

9. Preserve Food

A little lemon juice will help prevent apples, potatoes, pears and cauliflower from browning.

10. Prevent Sticky Rice

To get perfect fluffy, stick-free rice, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the pot while the rice is simmering.

11. Refresh Lettuce

Placing soggy, wilted lettuce in a bowl of ice water and the juice of one half lemons will refresh the lettuce.

12. Lower Salt Intake

Lemon juice is one of the best salt substitutes out there. Skip the salt shaker and season your meals with lemon.