Lemons are possibly the most common thing to have in your home. Officially known as “BERRY”, a hesperidium in-fact, it can transform your mood, health and ways of cooking at home. Do you know it has some magical properties? If you don’t then try these tips, it will give you more results beyond your expectations. It is inexpensive and available round the year. It can really change your life for better.
Here are 20 other ways to use it, beyond just adding a squeeze of juice to your salad.
Useful way to clean your home
Cleaning of your microwave
Peal the lemon and put it in a microwave safe glass bowl half filled with water, cook for five minutes, the water will boil and the lemony steam will do its job. Rest remove and wipe the inside of your microwave with a dry cloth.
Mold removal
You can remove mold by rubbing it’s juice where you see it. Mold should dissipate soon after!
Invisible ink
You can make your own secret spy invisible ink with it’s juice.
Take a q-tip and soak it in lemon juice. Use the Q-tip to write on the paper. Once the lemon juice is dry you can use heat from a lamp to reveal a secret message!
Electrical properties
It can give you electricity!
1. roll the lemon to get the juices
2. Cut 2 slits into it.
3. in one slit place a dime, the other use a penny.
4. Now you have electricity from a lemon, you can test how much with a multimeter.
Sanitise and stain free toilet
Prevent a blocked toilet and unsightly brown stains due to limescale by pouring it’s juice in the cistern tank and toilet bowl. Leave for a few hours then flush. making it shine, while the citrus deodorises will clean your toilet smelling lovely and fresh.
To keep the whiteness of the cloths for long
When washing your whites, add it’s juice to enhance the whitening action of your laundry detergent of choice. This will intact your whiteness for long period of uses.
Sanitise cutleries and chopping boards
Rub half a lemon (once you’ve squeezed the juice) over your washed cutleries and kitchen boards to naturally sterilise them, then rinse with water.
Useful way to use lemon for beauty
Get rid of dandruff
Add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice with lukewarm olive oil and rub into the scalp for 15 minutes, then shampoo and rinse.
It will remove the dandruff while the olive oil moisturisers the scalp. Try this once a week to keep your scalp healthy and free from dandruff.
Clean your nails before applying nail paints
Nail paints look lovely, but you should take breaks in-between, otherwise your nails can start to look yellow.
Before applying nail paint rub a slice of lemon over your nails, leave for up to ten minutes, rinse with plain water, then apply a good moisturiser.
Natural hair highlights
On a sunny day, apply it’s juice onto wet hair, comb through with fingertips, then sit in the sun leaving hair to dry naturally. Though most recommended on lighter hair colors but you can use for any color, all hair will be shinier.
Exfoliate your skin
Mixing around three tablespoons of vitamin C rich fresh lemon juice with one tablespoon of sugar. Make a non-abrasive skin exfoliator for your face.
Massage with your fingertips in an anticlockwise circular motion – the sugar will dissolve, then rinse and pat your face to dry naturally. Follow this as your favoured skincare routine.
Skin care and natural hair remover
Combine 200g sugar, 60ml lemon juice and 60ml of water in a pan, stir together and heat until around 230 degrees; use a thermometer if you have one. You want it to be the consistency needed to spread and remove hair.
Take off the heat, pour into a heatproof container and leave until it is room temperature. Take a wooden spatula and smooth onto the area you wish to remove hair. Lay over cotton strips and press down firmly, pull the strip off in the direction of hair growth and parallel to your skin. Water will take off any residue remaining.
This is the best natural hair removing technique.
Health and immunity
Get rid of bad breath
Lemon juice helps destroy the bacteria in your mouth that causes bad breath. Drinking lemon water can help, as will gargling it’s juice or sucking on a lemon slice will brighten your teeth and remove your bad breath.
Always remember to rinse your mouth with water after doing this process to avoid any adverse effect.
Treatment for insect bites
When bitten by an insect, apply fresh lemon juice on the bite to help sterilise the area, aid healing and ease the painful sting.
Keep the balance hydration in your body
Exercising can affect the electrolyte balance, causing muscle pain and fatigue. Instead of electrolyte packed sugary drinks, make your own by adding it’s juice, honey and salt to taste in water, to keep you hydrated all the time during any physical activity for your healthy diet.
Rejuvenate yourself
The next time you’re feeling down or tired and in need a lift, scratch the rind of it (should be unwaxed) and sniff. This will give you the desired freshness and energy. The essential oil found in it rind can make you feel instantly cheerful and uplifted.
You could also use a few drops of lemon essential oil to a diffuser or a container on the top of a radiator to rejuvenate yourself any time you prefer.
Tips to use it in kitchen
Making of cottage cheese at home
To make a soft cottage cheese use one litre of full fat milk and boil in a utensil, add 100ml of lemon juice into the milk. Take it off the heat, stirring continuously until it curdles, strain through a fine cloth over a bowl, and tighten the cloth and press to drain the excess water until left with a ball of soft cottage cheese. This is very healthy recipe.
To peel hardboiled eggs intact
Dip the eggs in it’s juice for 10 seconds before boiling for hardboiled eggs. After cooling down, peeling the shell off will be easier too.
Alternative of salt
If you’re on a low sodium diet then squeeze of it’s juice is the perfect alternative to salt.
Keep Brown sugar soft and moist
Use the peel of half a lemon with brown sugar in an airtight container. The sugar will absorb the moisture in the lemon and stay soft.
References:
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/sustainable-living/lemons-and-what-do-them-38-handy-tips