Lemons are one of those household items that serve a multitude of purposes, especially with anything health related, but they go way beyond that. Besides their refreshing smell and zesty flavor, they can be utilized in many different ways beyond their traditional uses.
So here are some suggestions on how to use them in your kitchen and laundry room:
In the Kitchen:
1. Freshen Up the Fridge: Remove the odors from the refrigerator easily by dabbing lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. Also, make sure to check the fridge for anything that may be causing the bad smell and get rid of it.
2. Fruit and Vegetable Wash: To naturally remove the pesticides and dirt that may be on the skin of your fruits and vegetables, slice a lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle, because lemon serves as a natural disinfectant.
3. Keep Your Produce from Turning Colors: When preparing certain vegetables and fruits, they may start changing colors once they are cut, especially evident with avocados, apples, cauliflower, and other white vegetables. To combat that, sprinkle some fresh lemon juice over your produce once they are cut to preserve their freshness and color. Lemon compliments fruits and vegetables, so you’ll enjoy the extra freshness in your dishes.
4. Refresh Cutting Boards: If you use your cutting boards to chop onions and garlic, and prepare meat and fish, they may pick up a smell. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, cut the lemon in half and rub the cut side all over the board. You can also use undiluted juice straight from the bottle.
5. Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen: Using insecticides and pesticides in your home, especially the kitchen, may not be something you want to do at the possibility of exposure to your family, small children, and even pets. So to address any issue with insects, you can squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds, windowsills, and into any holes or cracks where they may be getting in. You can also place small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor enterence. In addition, you can mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) of water and wash your floors with it.
6. Deodorize Your Garbage : Toss leftover lemon and orange peels at the base of your trash can under the bag and repeat every couple of weeks to keep it smelling fresh.
7. Clean Tarnished Brass and Polish Chrome: Make a paste of lemon juice and baking soda, coat any tarnished brass, copper, or stainless steel, and leave it on for 5 minutes. Afterwards, gently scrub if necessary, wash the item in warm water, rinse, and polish dry. You will be able to remove mineral deposits even on metal stainless steel sinks. For chrome faucets, refrigerators and other accents, rub lemon rind over the chrome metal, rinse, and dry with soft cloth. You will see the sparkle and shine!
In the Laundry Room:
8. Boost Laundry Detergent: Pour 1 cup of lemon juice into the washer during the wash cycle for natural bleaching action, stain removal, and discoloration removal on T-shirts and underwear. The clothes will be brighter and smelling fresh.
For your delicates, soak them in a mixture of lemon juice and baking sod for a minimum of 30 minutes before washing to remove stains without the use of harsh chlorine bleach.
9. Rid Clothes of Mildew: For mildew stained clothes, make a paste of lemon juice and salt, rub it on an affected area, and leave them in the sunlight to dry. You can repeat the process until the stain is gone.
10. Replace Your Dry Cleaner: To remove the yellow stains in the armpits, combine equal parts lemon juice and water and gently scrub them on the stained area, which will allow you to avoid harsh chemicals and expensive bills at the dry cleaners.
Have you tried any of these?! Share and let us know what you think! Feel free to share other suggestions in the comments below!
Have additional questions? Contact below in comments, at drtijana.dc@gmail.com,Website, Facebook, or Twitter!
Be healthy & happy, Dr. Tijana
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The mini-session works great, just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Starting your day off with a bang brings awesomeness to it! Morning rituals are a great way to jump start your day and align yourself for the remainder of your daily activities. In the last couple months, I have shifted my morning routine a bit, and have started drinking warm water with fresh lemon juice before I start on anything else. And if you have been following along, you can see that I am a big fan of all things lemon.