Amazing Household Uses for Lemons

Lemons Are a Versatile Fruit

You thought lemons were just for lemonade or to use in cooking, but we have some great uses to share with you today for lemons.  Long before chemicals were used in household cleaners and more, our grandparents and generations before used lemons for so many reasons around the house and outdoors. Once we started writing this article we were even amazed at all the different uses for lemons and how well they work.

Lemons aren’t just good for adding flavor to recipes, they are also very useful around the house! Here are some of the best uses we have found for lemons and lemon juice.

Lemons for Health

• For a sore throat or bad breath, gargle with some lemon juice in water. Start with a 1:1 solution and work up to just lemon juice.
• After you shampoo your hair, rinse your hair with lemon juice to make it shine. Remember to rinse it thoroughly out because lemon juice exposed to the sun can bleach your hair. Mix the strained juice of one lemon with 8 ounces of warm water for your hair rinse.
• Starting your day with warm water and juice from a lemon aids digestion, helps you stay hydrated, prevents oxidation, supplies vitamin C, provides a potassium boost, and can aid weight loss.
• Lemons contain many other nutrients that can strengthen your hair follicles and encourage new hair growth. Naturally acidic, lemon juice can deeply cleanse your scalp and hair follicles, restore healthy pH levels and remove the build-up of product, oils, and pollutants

Lemons in the Kitchen

• Clean discolored utensils with a cloth dipped in lemon juice and rinse with warm water.
• Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to keep it smelling fresh.
• Use one part lemon juice and two parts salt to scour your dishware or china to its original luster.
• Rub kitchen and bathroom faucets with lemon peel and then wash and dry with a soft cloth to remove water spots.
• Fresh lemon juice in the rinse water removes soap film from the interior of ovens and refrigerators.
• Fish or onion odors on your hands can be removed by rubbing your hands with fresh lemons.
• To get odors out of wooden rolling pins, bowls, or cutting boards, rub with a piece of lemon. Don’t rinse the wood, it will absorb the lemon juice.
• Clean copper pots or pots with copper bottom by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing the cut side with salt until it sticks. Then rub the lemon onto the metal, rinse with hot water, and polish dry.

Uses for Lemons Outdoors

• Save lemon and orange rinds to deter squirrels and cats from digging in the garden. Store the rinds in the freezer during the winter, and then bury them just under the surface of the garden throughout the spring and summer.
• A few drops of lemon juice in outdoor house paint will keep insects away while you are painting and until your paint dries.
• Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with two tablespoons of salt to make a rust-removing scrub on outdoor tools.

The Many Household Uses for Lemons

• Remove light scratches from furniture by mixing equal parts lemon juice with salad oil and rubbing it on the scratches with a soft cloth.
• To make furniture polish, mix one part lemon juice with two parts olive oil.
• To clean the surface of white marble or piano keys, rub with half a lemon or make lemon juice and salt paste. Wipe with a clean, wet cloth to remove residue.
• To renew hardened paint brushes that are hardened with water-based paints, dip them into boiling lemon juice. Lower the heat and leave the brush in the water for 15 minutes, then wash with soapy water.
• To remove dirt paint from window glass, apply hot lemon juice with a soft cloth. Leave until nearly dry and then wipe off.
• Before you start to vacuum, put a few drops of lemon juice in your vacuum dust bag. It will make the house smell fresh.
• Get grimy cotton socks white again by boiling them in water with a slice of lemon.
• To remove mineral deposits from glasses, put one tablespoon of lemon juice in each glass and fill it with hot water. Let stand for several hours, and then rinse and dry.
• Make your own organic air freshener; dissolve 1/8 cup baking soda into 2 cups hot water and add 1/2 cup lemon juice. Pour this mixture into an empty spray bottle, give it a shake, and you are good to go.
• To clean mirrors, you can squirt lemon juice, about 3 tablespoons into a spray bottle then mix with a cup of water. Next, spray the mirror down and then gently wipe with a clean and dry cloth.
• To clean the toilet, cut half a lemon and then rub the lemon’s cut side onto the toilet ring or wherever you see stains. Allow for a couple of minutes before using a toilet brush to scrub away any stain residues.
• An easy way to lift grime from stove burners. Cut a lemon in half, then rub one of the lemon halves across each stove burner. Wipe off the juice and grime with a damp sponge or cloth. This is great for getting rid of any burnt-on items that might be stuck to your stove’s surface.
• Squeeze some lemon juice in a bowl with water, add the lemon skin, and microwave for 2-3 minutes or until it boils. Let cool for 5 minutes with the door closed, then wipe down with the mixture and rinse with a clean cloth.

Lemons in Cooking

• Lemon juice can be frozen and then thawed when you need it. This was a great discovery because lemons tend to get ripe in large quantities and it’s not always easy to use them all up.
• You can substitute lemon juice for vinegar in most salad dressing recipes.
• Lemons are great for tenderizing meat; the citric acid does their work while lemon juice makes a great meat marinade.
• Rub lemon juice over the cut sides of the apples to keep them from turning brown.
• Lemon zest can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you have extra time, zest your lemons in bulk and place the zest in a zip lock bag so you always have zest on hand.

This is the time of year that lemons are in their bounty. It’s a great time to freeze lemon juice for later use considering all the ways lemon juice can be used for anything from your health to keeping your home clean. Be sure to give us a call at 707-827-3316 so we can take house cleaning off your to-do list or fill out our Free Estimate Form and one of our trained cleaning professionals will be in touch promptly to give you an estimate and answer your questions.