Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. Here we are entering the last week of July! Summer is flying by. Thank you for being back for part 3 all about great uses for lemon!
Make a homemade fruit and vegetable wash! Fruits and vegetables that you get from the store are usually sprayed with pesticides and waxes to keep them looking nice and fresh. However, these have the potential to make you sick. Here’s a great DIY fruit and veggie wash. Take 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with tablespoons of baking soda, and 1 cup of water. Stir the mixture until the baking soda is completely dissolved. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray your fruits or vegetables thoroughly. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. Rinse all of your produce completely and dry!
As an extra note. I have used this on lettuce and produce that I have grown myself just in case there may be a chance of bacteria or insects from the garden!
It is recommended to regular clean your humidifier, but they can benefit from an extra cleaning to prevent any bacteria, mold or mildew building up in the unit. A great way to naturally clean your humidifier is by adding 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the water in the humidifier every time you fill it. The lemon juice will kill bacteria that can grow in the water and also add a great smell to the air!
Neutralize onion hands. Chopping onions won’t just make you cry, it can also give your hands an unpleasant odor than can linger well after you’ve washed your hands. An easy way to remove these odors is by rubbing lemon rinds between your hands. The rinds act as a gentle scouring agent, which will remove onions’ oils left on your hands. The lemon will also leave behind a pleasant scent.
Repel insects. The smell of lemons can help repel ants. The lemon scent covers the scent tracks they use to communicate where to go. There are three methods to use lemons to prevent ants from entering your home and pantries. Soak a washcloth in lemon juice and wipe down all areas where you think ants are entering the house. Leave lemon rinds around outside doorways to repel ants. Soak cotton balls with lemon essential oil and place in cabinets where food is kept.
My favorite use: kill weeds! I hate weeds but despise using any chemical based killer. I douse pure lemon juice on weeds. After a day or two, the lemon juice paired with light from the sun will cause the weeds to shrivel and die. For weeds that will not die easily, I mix 1 part white vinegar per 1 part lemon juice and douse the weeds again.
Have a great week. I trust your summer will continue to be healthy, safe and enjoyable. Next week will be a new series about practical uses with salt!
“Strength grows when we dare. Unity grows when we cheer. Affection grows when we share. Relation grows when we care!”
Lemon and Rosemary 