20 Household Uses for Lemons

Lemons are an extremely versatile tool to have around the house. Check out these Household Uses for Lemons from cleaning and freshening to personal care.

Household Uses for Lemons

Lemons are super yummy to cook with, and my kids would argue that their best use is lemonade, but did you know that lemons are even more useful than that? Lemons are an extremely versatile tool to have around the house, and are incredibly useful, from cleaning and freshening to personal care.

Here are 20 clever Household Uses for Lemons that will make your life easier and fresher.

20 Household Uses for Lemons

1. Clean Wooden Kitchen Tools - To sanitize, clean, and get that funky smell out of your wooden cutting board, spoons, and other utensils, rub a lemon on them to clean, then rinse with water.

2. Clean Drains - Is your kitchen drain looking a little grimy? Get rid of the grime and leave the drain looking shiny and new by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing the flesh over the icky area. Let the lemon juice sit for 1-2 minutes, then wipe clean.

3. Lighten Nails - Lighten discolored nails by soaking them in a cup of water with the juice from one lemon.

4. Whiten and Brighten Laundry - Skip the bleach and just add ½ cup lemon juice to the laundry instead for brighter, whiter, cleaner whites.

5. Freshen Vegetables - If your lettuce or leafy greens have gone a bit limp, you don't have to toss it! You can liven them up with lemon juice instead. Add the juice from half of a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Place your lettuce or greens in the bowl and refrigerate for an hour. Dry the leaves before serving.

6. Wash Produce - Because lemons are acidic, natural, and safe, they're basically perfect for cleaning any remaining dirt, bacteria, or pesticides that might be left on your produce. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a large bowl of water to clean your produce.

7. Clean Grime Off of Stainless Steel - To remove fingerprints and grime from stainless and other metal surfaces, just cut a lemon in half and rub directly on the surface. For extra cleaning power, dip lemons in baking soda, which is gentle enough to polish without leaving any scratches behind.

8. Preserve Produce - To keep potatoes and apples from browning after being cut or peeled, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to cold water and soak. To keep guacamole fresh, add ½-1 teaspoon lemon juice to your recipe.

9. Cat Deterrent - Strangely, cats hate the smell of lemons. Try spraying a little in spots you're to keep kitty away from.

10. Kill Weeds - Spray unwanted weeds and grass with lemon juice to get rid of them. Be careful not to spray plants that you do want as lemon could kill those too.

11. Remove Strong Onion or Garlic Smell - Remove strong onion or garlic smells from both your hands and kitchen tools by wiping them down with some lemon juice.

12. Make a Buttermilk Substitute - You can make a simple buttermilk substitute when you don't have any on hand using just lemon juice and milk. Get the full Buttermilk substitute tutorial here.

13. Get Rid of Facial Blemishes - Get rid of pimples naturally by dabbing lemon juice on them several times per day. Lemon juice will also lighten dark spots from scars or skin damage, and exfoliate and clean your face if used as a facial cleanser.

14. All Purpose Cleaner - For a natural but effective all-purpose cleaner, mix together lemon juice and water in a spray bottle. This works for windows, counters, mirrors, and most other hard surfaces.

15. Relieve a Sore Throat - Gargling lemon juice or adding some to hot tea is a great way to help relieve a sore throat.

16. Clean the Microwave - If your microwave is starting to smell a bit funky, fill a microwave safe bowl with juice from one lemon and ½ cup hot water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then wipe down the microwave when it's done.

17. Polish Furniture - Combine ½ cup olive oil with ¼ cup lemon juice for an all-natural furniture polish.

18. Treat Dandruff - To treat dandruff, rub 2 tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then add 1 teaspoon to 1 cup water and rinse hair with it. Do this daily until dandruff disappears.

19. Remove Stains from Marble - If you have a super stuck-on stain on your marble counter tops, lemon juice can come to your rescue. Cut a lemon in half and rub the exposed flesh in salt. Then rub the lemon over the stain to remove it. Rinse with water. Do this only as a last resort as lemons are acidic and can do more harm than good on porous stone if used too often.

20. Air Freshener - You don't need an aerosol spray to freshen your home. Just cut a lemon into quarters and leave it in a bowl on the counter to get the room smelling lemon-fresh!

What do you use Lemons for?

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