15 Surprising Hacks For When Life Gives You Lemons

We’re already aware of the many health benefits of lemons (not to mention their antioxidant and cancer fighting properties). But what if we told you that even by taking advantage of the many remarkable rewards of this infamous yellow fruit, we were still merely scratching the surface?

While homemade salad dressings and lemon water are great for our daily diet, there’s so much more lemons can do for you. Read on to see all the surprisingly creative ways to utilize these tart little suckers.

FOR THE HOME:

Insect Repellant: Mopping floors with lemon juice and water will repel roaches and fleas, not to mention you can put lemon peels near entryways to repel insects.

Leather Shoe Polish: Combine one-part lemon juice with two parts of olive oil, then apply to leather shoes. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then buff with cloth and voilà!

Weed Killer: Spray weeds with lemon juice for a non-toxic weed killer.

Air Freshener: Add a few drops of lemon juice to your dust bag before vacuuming for a house that smells fresh and clean.

Hard Water Stains: Rub a cut lemon on your faucets and shower fixtures. It’ll remove hard water stains and leave fixtures looking super shiny.

FOR THE BATHROOM:

Dandruff: Massage two tablespoons of lemon juice into your scalp then rinse with lemon water. Repeat if you must and the dandruff will resolve.

Brightening Moisturizer: A few drops of lemon juice mixed with coconut oil and applied as a moisturizer will help to hydrate and brighten your skin.

Age Spots and Freckles: Apply lemon juice with a cotton swab to help fade age spots and freckles.

FOR THE CLOSET:

Whiten Tennis Shoes: Spray lemon juice onto white sneakers then dry them in the sun for whitening and freshening.

Gentle Bleach: Add lemon juice to hot water and soak white linens, then rinse and wash as normal. You can also add one-half cup of lemon juice to your washing cycle in lieu of bleach.

Jewelry Sanitizer: Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to 1.5 cups of water. Use the solution to sanitize earrings and other jewelry (just don’t use it on pearls or gold).

FOR THE KITCHEN:

Sour Cream Substitute: For a sour cream alternative, add lemon juice to whipped cream and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Clumpy Rice: To keep rice from sticking, add a spoonful of lemon juice to the water while the rice is cooking. Simply fluff with a fork when it’s done.

Ice Cubes: Add lemon slices to your ice cube trays to add a burst of flavor to your beverages.

Hands: Add lemon juice while washing your hands with soap to help remove stubborn odors like garlic.