The humble lemon. Maker of lemonade, garnish supreme, and the tangy flavor of countless candies hard and soft. Lemon is one of the most loved flavors on earth and an integral part of local dishes from Bangkok to Budapest and from Cape Town to Cape Cod. But lemons are more than just a way to make cough drops more palatable or soft drinks more balanced and satisfying and in this post, the Sparkling CBD Beverage Blog team is going to do a deep dive into the world of the lemon and provide twelve lesser-known ways you can put them to use.
Let’s Get Busy With Lemons
Lemon-scented air fresheners, lemon-scented dishwashing liquid, Sparkling CBD Lemonade, and Sparkling CBD Lemon Iced Tea...the list goes on and on. Lemon is one of the most versatile foodstuffs ever cultivated. Read on to learn twelve little-known and surprising things you can do with lemons.
1: Freshen Up the Garbage Can
Tired of foul odors even after you empty the garbage? Here’s a trick: take some lemon peels and place them in the bottom of the garbage can before you put a new bag in. The lemon peels will neutralize the odor and leave your garbage can smelling fresh.
2: Get Rid of Your Dandruff
This one surprises a lot of folks but lemon juice has been shown to eliminate dandruff. Squeeze out two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and apply it to your hair. Massage it in and when you’re done rinse your hair thoroughly. Do this every day until your dandruff is eliminated.
3: Treat Skin Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation (dark spots) have many potential causes and not a lot of potential treatments. However, the humble lemon is known to lighten dark spots effectively. Simply apply a bit of fresh lemon juice to the spot using a cotton ball and let it dry, then rinse and repeat daily.
4: Add Lemon to Your Water
If you want to promote proper hydration and benefit from the antioxidant qualities of lemon juice, drink a glass of water with the juice of one lemon in it every day. This type of unsweetened lemonade is also loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and iron.
5: Eliminate Odors From the Disposal
Just as a few lemon peels can be used to freshen up the garbage can, lemon can also be used to eliminate odors from the garbage disposal. Pour white vinegar into an ice cube tray and add pieces of lemon to each square. Then drop the resulting cubes into the disposal and turn it on.
6: Eliminate Blackheads
Let’s be real, blackheads are gross and everybody would like a way to be permanently free of them. We can’t offer that, but by applying a mask of lemon juice, honey, and baking soda to your skin you’ll make it easier to remove them and tone up your skin in the process.
7: Clean Your Shower Doors
Shower enclosures seem to attract hard water stains along with soap scum and trying to clean it off can be a backbreaking chore. But you can make the process easier by cutting a lemon in half and dipping it in salt (kosher salt if you can find it) then rubbing it directly on the glass.
8: Mix It With Vinegar To Create an Effective Cleaning Agent
Vinegar is a great natural cleanser but a lot of people don’t like the smell. No problem, you can neutralize the smell of vinegar by mixing it with some lemon juice. Use the mix to clean countertops, appliances, showers and tubs, faucets, floors, and a lot more.
9: Use It To Freshen Up the Fridge
If your refrigerator gets a lot of use it can be difficult to find opportunities to clean it on a regular basis. But in between cleanings odors can build up. So what to do? Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into a bowl and then let a sponge absorb the juice. Then place the sponge in the fridge.
10: Lighten Your Hair
If you've got naturally light hair but you'd like to go all the way to blonde, use fresh lemon juice on your hair after you shampoo twice a week to lighten it. As an added benefit, the lemon juice should eliminate any dandruff and it will also improve the health of your hair.
11: Keep Your Guac Looking Tasty
It doesn’t take long for guacamole to take on an unappealing brownish look. What’s up with that? What’s up is that the phenolic compounds in avocados oxidize when exposed to the air. You can slow the process down by squeezing in some fresh lemon juice when you make it.
12: Sooth a Sore Throat
A sore throat is one of the worst aspects of having a cold or the flu, but you don’t have to just lie there and take it. Instead, mix a tablespoon of honey with some fresh lemon juice a few times a day to relieve the pain and soreness. And remember, honey, is good for digestion too.
Try Sparkling CBD Lemonade and Other Great Flavors!
The team behind Sparkling CBD Soda are big believers in the lemon. Witness our delicious Sparkling CBD Lemonade, Lemon Ice Tea and our lemon-infused CBD Sparkling Water (Citrus). Next time you’ve got a hankering for lemon, head to our online CBD soda shop and stock up. It may be the most delicious decision you make this year.