A lemon is an amazing fruit and, as such, there are dozens of ways to use a lemon in your day to day life. Everybody recognizes it, every household uses it yet despite its eminence, it is a fruit we don’t eat as a fruit unless it’s a slice in our G and T. Yeah, we cook with it and there are probably millions of recipes that use lemon juice or lemon zest and probably everyone has a bottle of lemon juice in their cupboard. Maybe you don’t know though that this humble fruit has some amazing properties and there are very many ways to use a lemon. Here’s just a few of them.
Lemon is effective against dandruff if you apply the natural juice to your air and leave it for a few minutes before shampooing. Rinse with clean water, then apply a solution of 2 tablespoons of juice mixed in 2 cups of water. Treatment should be repeated every other day until dandruff disappears. This is a great way to use a lemon, not to mention a completely natural way to get rid of those pesky flakes.
Into a microwave safe bowl add 1 cup of water and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Put in the microwave on high and allow to boil for at least 5 minutes. The steam condenses on the oven walls and you can use a damp cloth to wipe clean.
If you mix together 1 cup honey, ½ cup olive oil and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, then heat it for 5 minutes, stirring vigorously for 2 minutes, you’ll have a home remedy for coughing and chest congestion. You can take one teaspoon of every 2 hours. The honey and lemon keep it from tasting too badly at all.
Another fantastic way to use a lemon is to let it help you get rid of blemishes. Before going to bed, rub freshly squeezed lemon juice over facial areas with or prone to blackheads. Do not wash off until morning, then use cool water. Repeat nightly until you see a big improvement in your skin.
Lemon juice is also a wonderful way to naturally lighten your hair. Use a solution of ¼ cup if fresh lemon juice with ¾ cup water to rinse your hair. Works better if you can do this just before going out in strong sunlight.
You can brighten, whiten and strengthen your fingernails by soaking them in lemon juice for 10 minutes. After, brush with a solution that is equal parts white vinegar and warm water then rinse well. You'll be amazed at the results.
If you get ink on your clothes, treat the spot with a liberal application of lemon juice. Then stick in a washing machine on cold wash with your usual detergent or wash by hand. This way to use a lemon can also be used on furniture and upholstery as long as you are confident you can rinse it well.
If you’ve used a cutting board for fish, onions or garlic, simply wash it with lemon juice to get rid of the smell. It works wonders for leaving your cutting board new. Remember, however, try not to use wooden cutting boards for reasons of sanitation.
As you can see, its uses are wide and there are plenty more than those I've listed. It has astringent and antiseptic properties so it can be safely used as a home remedy to various ailments including blemishes, poison oak and even aching tired feet if you add it to olive oil and use as a massage oil. It’s an effective cleaner, including for brass, and it eliminates smells. I have even seen it said that one of the ways to use a lemon is to stop a dog barking! Apparently if you squirt a lemon into the mouth of a dog that won't shut up and then say quiet, it eventually develops a Pavlov type response. Anyone else got an unusual way to use a lemon?
Top Photo Credit: jezm2000