GREAT TIPS AND TRICKS WITH LEMONS!

 

		We were going to make a list of our top ten ways to use them, but we found so many we couldn’t narrow it down to just ten. Instead, we’re bringing you thirty of the best ways to take advantage of this fruit around the house and in the kitchen, and to improve your health and beauty.

ROUND THE HOUSE

1. To remove strong smells from a cutting board, wash it in soap and water, then scrub it with the face of half a lemon.
2. Clean silver, brass and copper with a lemon half that has been sprinkled with a generous layer of salt. This also works on stainless steel sinks. To clean aluminium, polish it with a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar.
3. Use baking soda instead of salt with a lemon to scrub kitchen surfaces, dishes and stains.
4. Polish your hardwood furniture with a mixture of two thirds olive oil and one third lemon juice.
5. Lemon juice is great for dissolving soap scum and calcium deposits from hard water. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt to remove mildew from shower walls and curtains.
6. It’s a natural bleach, so put lemon juice on white linens and clothings and allow them to dry in the sun – stains will vanish! This is safe for delicate fabrics, too.
7. To remove grunge from your microwave, combine four tablespoons of lemon juice with a cup of water in a bowl, and then boil it for five minutes. The condensed steam will wipe away, taking the dirt with it, and your microwave will be left smelling lemony fresh.
8. Boost your laundry powder by adding a cup of lemon juice to the machine during the wash cycle. This will zap minor stains and leave your clothes smelling fresh.
9. Lemon juice will also remove more stubborn stains. For ink spots, apply lots of juice as soon as possible, then launder the garment in cold water on your normal washing machine cycle. Remove mildew or rust stains by making a paste of lemon juice and salt and rubbing it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in the sun.
10. Make a humidifier that doubles as a room scent. Simmer a pot of water on the stove and add lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves and apple peels. The aroma will be beautiful, and it’s good for your skin and lungs, which can suffer from dry air in winter.

 

KITCHEN TIPS AND TRICKS

1. If you have lemons that are becoming overripe, squeeze the juice into an ice-cube tray and freeze it for later use. Popping one of these ice cubes into a glass of water is a great refresher on a hot summer day. Grated lemon zest can also be frozen in a sealed plastic bag and used in recipes later.
2. You’ll get more juice from a lemon at room temperature. Roll it on the kitchen counter and press down firmly to break up the pulp. If it’s very cold, try microwaving the lemon for a few seconds before squeezing it.
3. To refresh wilted lettuce, place it in a bowl of water with four tablespoons of lemon juice. Chill it for an hour, then pop it into salads or sandwiches – just make sure you dry the leaves completely before serving.
4. Potatoes and cauliflower tend to turn brown when boiling. Make sure these vegies stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into the cooking water.
5. Rice won’t stick together if you add a spoonful of lemon juice to the water when you boil it. Once it’s done, let it cool for a few minutes, then fluff it with a fork before serving.
6. Stop avocados in salad or guacamole from turning brown by sprinkling lemon juice over the top. The lemon juice is a natural complement to the flavours in these dishes, and it will keep the meal looking fresh. You can apply the same trick to fruit salads – keep apples white by adding lemon juice to the mix.
7. If you’re serving wine with dinner, use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar in salad dressings. It’s delicious and won’t interfere with the taste of the wine.
8. You can stop insects from invading your kitchen with lemon. Keep ants away by squirting lemon juice around doors and windows, and into the holes and cracks where they’re getting in. Scatter small pieces of lemon peel around outside entrances as well. Lemons are also effective against cockroaches and fleas – put the juice of four lemons, their rinds and two litres of water in a bucket and wash your floor with it. The creepy-crawlies hate the smell, but you’ll love it.
9. If you’ve stained your hands preparing berries, wash your hands with undiluted lemon juice. Wait a few minutes, then wash with warm, soapy water.
10. Remove bad odours from your fridge by dabbing lemon juice on a cotton ball or a sponge, and leaving it in there for several hours. Make sure you throw out whatever caused the smell in the first place!

 

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

1. Lemon juice is enormously refreshing, so travellers, long-distance walkers and explorers are sometimes known to suck the juice from a lemon through a whole in is top to banish fatigue.
2. Make your own cough mixture by combining four tablespoons of lemon juice, a cup of honey and half a cup of olive oil. Heat the mixture for five minutes, then let it stand for two. The warmth will sooth your throat, while the vitamin C and antibacterial honey will help your body heal.
3. If you suffer from dry hands and feet, soak them in warm water with a bit of lemon juice, then massage with olive oil, or whiten yellowed fingernails by soaking them in lemon juice.
4. Clear up pimples with a dab of lemon juice, or treat blackheads by wiping your face with it in the evening, then rinsing your face with cool water the next morning.
5. Lemon juice is great for your hair. To get rid of dandruff, rub a tablespoon of juice through your hair before shampooing, then rinse with two tablespoons of lemon juice mixed into two cups of water. Or for natural blonde highlights, apply diluted lemon juice and then sit in the sun until your hair dries (but don’t forget your sunscreen!).
6. It’s a styptic, which means that it stops bleeding, and antiseptic, so it can prevent infection. Dab a bit of juice on a cotton ball and hold it on small cuts and scrapes for a few minutes. It can also be used to relieve athlete’s foot, poison ivy and sunburn.
7. If you’ve got a headache, try sitting down with a cup of lemon tea. Add honey rather than refined sugars if you feel you need sweetness.
8. Use lemon juice to remove warts – just apply it to the wart using a cotton swab every day until the wart is gone.
9. Combine lemon juice and baking soda into a paste and use it to exfoliate dry elbows, feet and legs.
10. Lemon juice makes a great mouthwash. Rinse with the juice and then swallow it for long-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing the bacteria that cause bad breath. Make sure that you rinse your mouth with water after a few minutes, though, because long-term exposure to the acid in the juice can harm tooth enamel