Lemons are one thing that should never miss out on your grocery shopping list because they are one of the most versatile fruits you can lay your hands on. As food, lemons contain an incredible amount of vitamin C, fibre, antioxidants and lots of healthy properties that your body can use. However, once you learn about the countless uses of lemons at home, you will realize that you can never have too many lemons because there is always a problem they can help you solve. From helping with your dishwashing needs to making the quickest buttermilk at home here are 10 other great things you can do with lemonade.
Protect your fruits from browning
When you cut your apples, avocados and other fruits and don’t eat them immediately, you will find them browned out the following day or after a couple of hours. That is why people buy Fruit Fresh and other short term fruit preservatives to soak their apple slices in to prevent browning. These preservatives contain Vitamin C which lemons have lots so instead of soaking your fruits in the expensive preservative, you can just use lemons. Just cut open your lemon and use the exposed side of the lemon to rub on the exposed area of the fruit and the browning will be prevented.
Deep Clean Your Microwave
The inside of your microwave can get greasy and look bad if you heat some foods or spend too long before cleaning it. Water and soap don’t work in such a case, and that is where your lemon slices will come in handy. Just squeeze or put whole slices of lemons into a bowl of water and heat the combination in your microwave for about five minutes to allow the vapour to reach every corner of the microwave. Give the inside of the microwave a good wipe with a paper cloth and it will be as good as new.
Remove Bad Odor
Bad odour can be managed by most commercial air fresheners but you can’t always use those. Putting pieces of lemons combined with salt into the refrigerator after cleaning absorbs the bad smell. You can do the same for smelly garbage to remove a bad smell from your kitchen. Chewing on lemon or rubbing it against your teeth can also help you treat bad breath.
Use It To Do Your Laundry
The acid in lemons has some bleaching properties that your regular detergent doesn’t contain they will help you deal with the stubborn stains on your white clothes. You just need to add a cup of lemon water alongside your regular detergent to the water when doing your laundry and give it time to do its job before washing. Lemons are also soft on your colours unlike commercial bleaches so you don’t have to worry about your clothes losing their shine.
Polish floors and counters
Citric acid doesn’t just act as a stain remover, it also works as a disinfectant as well as a bug repellant. If you have stained counters and floors, all you need to do is spray lemon water on the counter and the floor and then scrub with your brush before rinsing with water. The shine will be restored and the whole place will smell well nicer than it would if you only used soap.
Soothe And Treat Cuts and Burns
The disinfectant properties also extend to the human skin, so if you get a cut in the kitchen and don’t have a first aid kit close by, a slice of lemon will save the day. Just squeeze the lemon juice into the cut and rub it over the skin to stop the bleeding and the pain. The same goes for sunburnt or burned skin. This shouldn’t be used as absolute medical advice though, it is important to seek medical treatment for severe cuts and burns.
Make Quick Buttermilk
Buttermilk is good for baking, especially making your pancakes. If you don’t have ready buttermilk, you can use a spoonful of lemon juice to get some. Just squeeze a slice of lemon after removing the seeds into a glass of milk and give it a few minutes to thicken. It won’t be as thick as the commercial version, but after stirring the effects will come out automatically.
Lemon Hair Care
You have probably heard of lemon used in skincare and haircare but you probably don’t know about its roles in dealing with dandruff, hair loss, itchy scalp and tough hair. The citric acid and disinfectant properties of lemons all come in handy when dealing with these hair woes. All you need is to pray your hair or deep clean with lemon water after washing with your regular hair shampoo. It is totally natural, so there is no harm in trying.
Polish You Kitchenware
Are you struggling with rusty, stained or ageing kitchenware? The solution may be within those extra lemons you have. The acidic properties help in deep cleaning to remove grease and stubborn stains that regular soap won’t handle. Just put lemon juice into a sponge and use it to rub the stained or greasy part of the kitchenware before washing with soap and rinsing with water.
Make Toppings and Seasonings For Your Dishes
Sour cream is good for your cakes and other baked foods you make at home and it can be made from the comfort of your kitchen using lemons and your regular cream. You can also use your lemons to make lemon pepper seasoning which is healthier than the seasonings bought from the shelves. You can also add slices of lemons to your chicken or turkey before putting it in the oven for extra taste and a sweet flavour.