When you bite into a lemon, you might find your eyes and face tightening from the bitterness of it. But most of us fight through the sour taste and enjoy the multiple benefits of eating lemons. Not only do lemons provide us with high levels of vitamin C, but they are also rich in antioxidants.
The problem is that too many people focus on the lemon’s insides and discard the peel once finished. You should stop yourself from doing this, as there are many ways you can use them, and I will show you how in the guide below.
10 Ways You Can Use Lemon Peel
Lemons aren’t just for eating; they serve various uses, from adding them to delicious bakes and turning them into cleaning products. The same applies to the peels. Next time you’re squeezing a lemon for its juice or cutting it up to put in your drink, don’t forget to save the peels.
Here are some great ways you can turn the peels into something useful:
Boost your nutrition
Lemons are turned into juice or added to recipes for their vitamins and antioxidant properties, but the peels come with their own nutritional benefits. You only need to eat a small amount of them, as just six grams of lemon peel contains a high amount of fiber and 9% of your daily Vitamin C recommendation. It also offers small amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium for an even bigger boost.
Remove age spots
No one likes the signs of aging, and we will do all we can to put them off for as long as possible. If you’ve recently noticed a few age spots popping up on the skin, you can get out your lemon peel to lighten them. All you have to do is place some peel on the affected area and wrap it in a bandage for about an hour. If you’re putting the peel on a spot on your face, then try to stay out of the sun for that time.
Create an all-purpose cleaner
You know when you go to the store and find a lemon-scented cleaner? Well, this will work similarly to that while saving you money AND enhancing the cleaning effects. To create this product, fill a jar with lemon peels and white vinegar, place a lid on top, and leave it for several weeks. After six to eight weeks, strain the solution by taking the peels out and mixing your new cleaning product with water for the best effect.
Absorb odors in your fridge
There’s nothing worse than discovering some food has gone bad in your refrigerator. Especially because the smell continues to linger even when you take the food out. That’s where lemon peels come in handy! Simply place some of your lemon peels in the bottom drawer of your fridge and leave them there for a couple of days. In no time, your fridge will smell fresh, and you’ll forget there was anything rotten in there to begin with.
Make a body scrub
Your body is a temple, so you want to care for it as best as possible. This includes looking after your skin with the best solutions around. With lemon peels, you can create a body scrub that works better than most store brands and leaves your skin feeling smooth and as good as new. Mix some sugar, olive oil, and finely chopped lemon peel together to create the scrub. Massage it into newly showered skin and rinse when you’re done.
Turn into a scented humidifier
The winter months are bad enough, and the last thing you want is to suffer from dry heat. If you don’t have a humidifier but want to add moisture to your air, you can create one using lemon peels. Place the peels into a pot of water on the stove at a low heat and allow the water to simmer. It will create steam that adds moisture to the room, removing the dry heat and adding a fruity scent into the air for you to enjoy.
Scare away ants
Ants are a massive pest. Not because they cause too much damage as one, but because they come in big swarms that get into your food and crawl up your skin. If you live somewhere that suffers from ant infestations, you can place small slices of lemon peel in areas they can get into your home – like windows, doors, and any cracks and holes that provide access to the outside. Ants despise lemon, so when they smell the peel, they will turn in the opposite direction and leave you alone.
Keep your drawers fresh
Have you ever seen those little sachets that people put in their clothes drawers to keep their fabric smelling fresh at all times? Well, you can make one yourself with some lemon peel. However, you must ensure your lemon peels are dry before you start, so either leave them out in the sun or place them in a dehydrator. Grab some fabric sachets and place your lemon peel inside with some of your favorite spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. Your sachet is now ready to be put in your drawer.
Polish your stainless steel
We don’t notice how often we use our cutlery until we start noticing different forms of residue building up on them over time. No matter how hard you scrub in the sink, nothing seems to get rid of it. Luckily, lemon peel is the secret to making your knives and forks look brand new again. Place some sea salt directly onto the metal and then use the lemon peel as a cloth to wipe away the grimy residue on top. Simply rinse and repeat until you have your desired shine!
Get rid of travel sickness
For those of you who love to travel but suffer from bad travel sickness, you might feel like you’re about to give up on your dreams of heading around the globe. But don’t worry! We have the perfect solution for you. All you need with you whenever you get into a car, train, or plane is a bag of lemon peels. Simply suck on one of these peels if you start to feel sick, and your nausea should subside. The taste may not be great, but it helps!
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