10 unusual uses for lemons
Not just for salad dressings and drinks, lemons have so many other uses around the house that you may not know about.
1. Freshen up the fridge
Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto a clean sponge and place in the fridge overnight. It will soak up any bad odours and leave a fresh citrus scent behind.
2. Cleaning the chopping board
Cut a lemon in half and use the cut side to rub all over a clean chopping board. It will soak up the smell of foods like meat, onion or fish. Then just wash as normal.
3. Deodorising the garbage disposal
These can get a little funky so just pop two halves of a lemon down there and give it a few seconds of pulsing. Then leave overnight and turn on in the morning. Wash down with some warm water for a fresh smelling pipe.
4. Remove deodorant marks
If your work shirts have yellowed under the arms, you can scrub them with equal parts lemon juice and water to remove the stains.
5. Freshen the air
If you’ve got a lingering smell in the house such as burnt toast, boil up some sliced lemon in a pan of water for half an hour.
6. Prevent sticky rice
Prevent rice sticking together by squeezing a tablespoon of lemon juice into the cooking water.
7. Removing cooking smells from hands
If you’ve been chopping garlic or onion and your hands are a bit whiffy, simply rub some just-cut lemon over the area. Wash and dry as normal.
8. Deterring pests
If you’ve got more than your fair share of cockroaches or spiders, try leaving lemon peel on your window sills and other entrances. The insects don’t like it and will avoid the area.
9. Spruce up the dishwasher
Place half a lemon in the top rack of the dishwasher along with your usual load. It will deodorise and freshen up the dishwasher without harsh chemicals.
10. Soak dirty fingernails
If you’ve been gardening or painting, make a nail bath of warm water with the juice of a lemon. Soak your fingers for 5-10 minutes, then rub the cut side of the other lemon half over the nail.
Have we missed anything? What else do you use lemons for around the house? We would love to hear from you in the comments.