You turn to this citrus fruit to enhance your water
but did you know it can also help perk up limp
lettuce and kill weeds? We asked experts to weigh
on their go-to uses for this household must-have.
Read on for their tips.
Kill weeds. Forget chemical weed killers, which can
be just as bad for you as they are for the planet. “I
like to control weeds with my lemon and white
vinegar recipe, which is four parts lemon juice to
one part white vinegar,” says Billee Sharp, author
of "Lemons and Lavender: The Eco Guide to Better
Homekeeping."
Advertise
Preserve and refresh produce. “Lemons are a
perfect way to perk up produce,” Sharp says.
“Adding limp lettuce to a bowl of cold water with
lemon juice in the fridge for an hour will put bring
back the crispness. Make sure to rinse and dry it a
paper towel.” A little lemon juice also will help
keep apples, potatoes, pears and cauliflower from
browning and guacamole and pesto green.
Keep away cats. “If you have a precious rug or
couch, spray it with your trusty lemon and
lavender spray bottle to keep it pet-free,” Sharp
suggests. “It will not only freshen the room with
the nice smell but keep them away as well.” Bonus
tip: orange and eucalyptus essential oil work well,
too.
Easily clean cheese graters. “Cut the lemon in half
and then run it over the grater,” advises cleaning
coach Leslie Reichert, author of The Joy of Green
Cleaning. “The acid in the lemon will help break
down the fat in the cheese. If the food is really
stuck on the grater you can dip the lemon in table
salt and the salt will act as a scrubber; combined
with the lemon it will remove most foods.”
Sanitize metal jewelry. The acid in lemon juice also
works to remove tarnish. “I'd recommend using
just a tablespoon of lemon juice concentrate to 1
1/2 cups water,” Reichert says. “You can also dip
your silver into lemon soda and it will come out
sparkling. But don’t use this combo on gold or
pearls.”
Preserve meat and clean your cutting board.
Lemon juice creates an acidic environment and
bacteria need an alkaline environment to survive,
so adding lemon to meat, produce and even water
inhibits bacterial growth. “A handy antibacterial
and natural way to clean your cutting board after
cooking meat is to rub lemon juice on it and let sit
overnight; rinse in the morning,” Sharp says. “The
lemon juice will kill bacteria and leave your cutting
board smelling fresh.”
Naturally restore furniture. “Mix mayonnaise, olive
oil, and lemon juice together,” Reichert suggests.
“When worked into wood furniture, this mixture will
add oil to the wood and the lemon juice will work
to cut through any polish build up on the
furniture.”
Prevent sticky rice. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice
to the pot while the water's boiling to keep grains
from sticking together. “Lemon does prevent sticky
rice, as do other citrus fruit lines, which help
separate grains of rice and enhance the whiteness
of the rice itself,” Sharp says.
Get rid of grease. “Copper pots are cleaned quickly
with a half of a lemon dipped into salt. Rub over a
tarnished copper bottom pot and you'll see magic,”
Reichert says. “The same combo works great for
removing grease off a cooktop and stainless steel
pots and pans, too. If you have a real buildup of
grease, use the lemon juice or half lemon with sea
salt.”
Make potpourri. “I love lemons and lavender as
potpourri,” Sharp says. “Take lemon rind or thin
lemon and orange, lay them individually on a big
sheet pan, and let them dry.” Add dried rose
petals, lavender, rosemary, or mint for a wonderful,
fresh scent.
No comments:
Post a Comment