10 Smart Uses for Lemons

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It’s another Home Tips Tuesday. This week it’s all about lemons!

I am always amazed at how versatile this little sunshine fruits are for cleaning, cooking and health purposes. Here are just a few of the fabulous ways lemons can make your life easier.

10 Smart Uses for Lemons

1. Clean Copper Pots: Grab some kosher salt and a lemon to spruce up your copper pots. Simply cut the lemon in half, dip in into a shallow plate of kosher salt, and rub it on your copper pots. Say bye bye to bad stains and HELLO to shine!

2. Soothe a Sore Throat: Just three ingredients (lemons being the stars of course) can make a sore throat feel SO much better. Check out this Sore Throat Soother remedy.

3. Brighten Your Skin: Before you invest in pricey skin products, try banishing brown spots with this home remedy. Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice with a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of powdered milk. Make a paste of the mixture with a few drops of water. Apply to brown spots on face and hands. Rinse and finish by gently rubbing area with a loofah or washcloth.

4. Polish those Pearly Whites: Worried about the chemicals in some popular brands of toothpaste? No problem, you can make your own paste for pennies. Just mix 1/8 cup of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and a drop of peppermint extract. You may also need to add a some water to make it into a paste. Brush your teeth with this homemade paste and your mouth will feel fresh, clean and chemical free.

5. Beat the Brown: My kids love munching on apples during lunch break at school. But if those apple slices have become brown… they won’t eat them! Lemons to the rescue. Just mix a 1/4 cup of water and a tablespoon of water and dip the slices on or just sprinkle the water on. No more brown areas!

6. Get Set for Speaking or Singing: This is an old broadcasting trick I learned from a well-known sportscaster who worked at the TV station where I got my first job. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice to a mug of hot (not boiling) water and drink. It helps “warm” your vocal cords up.

7. The Zest is Best: Don’t toss out juice lemons. You can save them in the freezer until you need lemon zest for a recipe. Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than realizing you need lemon zest at the last minute! It’s easy to grate a frozen lemon rind and it still tastes fantastic.

8. Citrus Salt: Speaking of the kitchen… it’s a snap to create your own special salt to add flavor and dimension to just about any recipe. Check out this easy tutorial for DIY Citrus Salt.

9. Clean Your Cutting Board: If you’re concerned about what get left behind on your cutting board, there’s a fast fix. Cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the surface of the board. Rinse with water and dry… you now have a clean cutting surface.

10. Treat Yourself: You can make a lemon scrub at home that will leave your body feel invigorated and your head feeling clear. Check out the recipe for this Simple Citrus Scrub.

More more Home Tips Tuesday Tricks and Tips, check out these posts: