You might already know how to make the perfect lemonade, but were you also aware of what else lemons can do for you? They are another one of those “natural” cleansers, like baking soda, that almost all of us have on hand. Plus, they leave a refreshing, clean smell that’s free of any harsh chemicals. When you are trying to find a good use for lemons, keep some of the following tips in mind.

1. Cleaner dishes
When you want to make sure that your dish washing detergent is really going the distance, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to it and you’ll find it helps remove grease. I like to do this with our good dishes, that I wash by hand, but have never tried it in the dishwasher.

2. Clean your microwave
When you want to make sure that the stains on your microwave come out easily, make up a cup of water with four tablespoons of lemon juice added. Bring the mixture up to a boil using the microwave, and you’ll find that the stains are quite easy to remove.

3. Cleaning fixtures
If you are dealing with chrome, copper or brass, rub some lemon juice onto the fixtures and then rinse it off. Buff the surface with a soft cloth to get the best shine out of this treatment.

4. Lighten hair
This works the best if your hair is brown or blond to start with. Apply lemon juice to your hair, either solidly or in streaks, and then sit in the sun for an hour or so. You can get a gentle bleaching effect this way that is quite mild.

5. Make soggy lettuce crisp
I found this tip from Reader’s Digest – Don’t toss that soggy lettuce into the garbage. With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss it in a salad instead. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make sure to dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.

Should you decide to go out and stock up on lemons, don’t worry about them going bad before you use them up. For those lemons that you don’t have an immediate need for, take out an ice cube tray and make lemon juice cubes. This way not a drop of lemon juice is wasted, and you always have “fresh squeezed” lemon juice on hand. Next time you’re seeing a good price on lemons, go ahead sock up! There are penty of uses for those lemons, and you will have the peace of mind knowing that you are replacing harsh chemicals in the process.

Photo credit James Bowe

Last week I posted 5 Great Uses for Baking Soda. Well, guess what? I have 5 more great uses for baking soda – some you may not have thought of.

1. Car battery cleaner – Sprinkle some baking soda onto your car battery terminals then add a little bit of warm water, scrub with a toothbrush to get rid of corrosion. Rinse it off with more warm water. This will remove any acid and help maintain a good, clean contact.

2. Paint cleaner – When you are trying to get ink, pencil marks, crayon markings or even furniture scruffs off of your painted walls in a way that won’t harm the paint job, put some baking soda on a wet sponge, rub the area clean and dry it.

3. Keep your drains clear – Every week, you can pour a cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar down the drain. This can help you keep the passage clear of clogs completely.

4. Shower door glass cleaner – Get a damp sponge and sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on it. Wipe the shower door with the sponge and then rinse with warm water; you won’t have to bother with corrosive sprays any more.

5. Book cleaning – If you buy books second hand or you are pulling books from storage, you might notice a mildewy, unpleasant smell coming from the book. You will find that this can be banished simply by putting the books in a plastic bag with a few grains of baking soda. In a few days, you will find that the musty smells are gone.

And, like I mentioned in my previous post, what’s great is baking soda becomes a low cost solution with so many uses, and also it’s low cost makes it easy to stock up on. With so many uses, you will want to add this to your stockpile, and household cleaning supply arsenal.