Recycle Used Lemons - 12 WAYS
Life hands you lemons....
Hundreds of Uses!
By my own admission, I am CHEAP! My husband rolls his eyes every time I catch him throwing something away and SCREAM...
"STOP"! I am trying to teach my kids that everything has a purpose and value and that even trash can be beneficial. The limits of my husband's patience were recently tested when I saved a batch of squeezed lemons! My son and I made a batch of fresh lemonade and I fought to save the 20 squeezed lemons for later uses. At the thought of this, my husband quickly dialed the number to our nearest mental institution and reserved my room. While I would LOVE for him to Finally be right about something....boy was he wrong!"Used" Lemons have at least a hundred uses from health and beauty to household cleaning uses ...
Here are just 12 ways to Recycle "Used" Lemons that I wrote down to win the argument!
1. Mani-Pedi! Soak your hands in warm water then rub with the cut side of the lemon. If you need a little extra exfoliation, add some table salt and massage. Ring hands with warm water and finish with hydrating lotion! Your hands will feel as soft and smooth as if you had paid high dollars for a professional manicure!
2. Rough Elbows - Lemons are fantastic tools to soften tough skin! Place your elbow directly in the cut half of the lemon sprinkled with some baking soda. Allow it to sit for about 5-8 minutes. Repeat as needed!
3. Whiten your Teeth! - This new trick has been getting a lot of attention lately and I am hoping that it works! Take your toothbrush and place some baking soda on it with a few drops of lemon juice (it will fizz a bit) and brush away. I do not recommend doing this every day as lemons are acidic but they are no worse than soda and other acids so I would assume once a week is safe (check with your dentist)!
4. Water and Beverages - There is so much flavor in the peel of the lemon! Most bars and restaurants actually use the peel in drinks to subtly enhance the flavor of their andcrafted drinks. If its a working day...drop your "used" lemon into a water bottle with a few slices of cucumber for a refreshing "fancy" spa like beverage. If its the weekend....make a lemon mojito! All you need is some rum, mint, lemons, rum (did I already say that?), sugar, and soda water!
5. Polishing Silver - This trick has been passed down from grandmothers and mothers for hundreds of years....if you have some dingy silver, gently polish away stains and prints with lemons! No trick here just use the lemon.
6. Laundry Stain Removal - Lemons will have the same effect as bleach so I suggest testing this first. Rub a stain with the cut side of the lemon. If it is a really tough stain, add some baking soda to the stain and then rub with the lemon. Wash as normal after that!
7. Fight the Brown Sugar Clump! Remove all of the pith and flesh from a lemon peel. Drop the peel into your brown sugar container and it should fight the clump.
8. Homemade "Febreeze" Air freshener - make your own air freshener! Mix as indicated below them let it set for a bit so the oils in the lemon will infuse into the liquid.
!•16 ounce empty spray bottle
•vodka, rubbing alcohol or witch hazel
•smash then add the "used: lemons
•Water
9. Clean your microwave! Place the "used" lemons into a microwave-safe bowl and fill it halfway with water. Place the bowl in the microwave and set the timer for 5 minutes allowing the water to boil and to steam. Allow the steam to fill the microwave and to sit for a few minutes then carefully remove the bowl and wipe away the mess!
10. Garbage Disposal Freshening - You have heard this before I am sure but place small pieces of lemons into your garbage disposal and turn it on. Your disposal will smell fresh and clean (if that is possible)
11. Sooth a sore throat - Toss some lemon remains in with honey and hot water for an all natural- homemade remedy for coughs and colds.
12. Free Flavor! - The zest of a lemon is used in man ways in cooking and baking. You will find it in sauces, desserts, toppings, chicken dishes,etc. Why buy it? Simply zest your lemon (its easier to zest before squeezing) and either use immediately or allow the freshly grated zest to dry out on a paper towel then store it is a glass jar!
So...AGAIN, I won the argument. We used up over a dozen "squeezed" lemons in no time! I found tons of other uses not listed here like deodorizing, adding it to cleaners, etc. but thought i would only list the 10 that were the easiest and provided the most useful tips!
If you have a great way to "recycle" lemons...please share them!