Lemons are often given a bad rap for being sour; but whether or not you enjoy the unique citrus flavour of a lemon, there are plenty of other reasons to love the fruit. You don’t need to ingest a lemon to appreciate its many beneficial qualities, but most of these benefits are not widely known.
Here are four of the most surprising,
little-known uses for lemon:Multipurpose Deodorizer From your fridge to your stinky garbage bins, a lemon can be a great tool for getting rid of unwanted smells all over your kitchen. Similarly to baking soda, a lemon can make an effective, all-natural odour eliminator for your refrigerator. Simply put a bit of lemon juice on a semi-absorbent material, such as a small sponge or cotton ball, and leave it in your fridge for as long as necessary.
Cleansing Your Cutting BoardAnother area of your kitchen where lemon juice can be a cleaning godsend is in its ability to sanitize your cutting boards. You probably rinse your cutting board after each use, at the very least, a wash it with soap and hot water when things get really messy. But chances are, it still stinks a little bit. A quick scrub with a slice of lemon or straight-up lemon juice will make it as good as new!
Food PreservationEven if you don’t enjoy the taste of raw lemon on its own, lemon juice can be used to extend the life of other certain foods. Perhaps the most notable food lemon juice can preserve is avocados, allowing you to make guacamole in advance and preserve it in the fridge before being served.
Natural Hair LightenerOkay, okay, so you probably get that lemon juice is super handy around the kitchen. But where else can is be useful? How about in touching up your salon highlights in the summer sun? Many women make use of lemons’ natural lightening properties to give their hairdos a nice summer tint. But make sure you dilute the juice to about 1 part lemon juice and 3 parts water and use a strong conditioner afterwards to prevent damage.