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Help Toothaches
Lemon juice is no replacement for going to see your dentist—and exposing your teeth to fruit acids isn't a great long-term strategy. But if you've already got a toothache, the citric acid in lemons can alleviate some of the pain until your appointment. Apply a lemon slice directly to the area, or try a little lemon juice and salt.
Weed Your Lawn
Lemon juice is a natural weed killer. Cover weeds in the juice and they'll shrivel away within a few days. Just be careful: Lemon juice will actually kill any plant, so make sure you're not accidentally spraying your flowers or lawn.
Revive Soggy Lettuce
No one wants to eat wilted lettuce. Revive your greens by soaking them in a bowl of cold water with a half-cup of lemon juice mixed in. Let them sit for around an hour, then place the leaves in your fridge for another hour or two. When you take the lettuce out, it will be crispy and salad-ready.
Ease the Itch
Accidentally run into some poison ivy during your weekend hike? Rub some lemon juice on the area to ease the itching so you don't spend the next few days scratching at it. The juice can also be effective for itchy dry skin and bug bites.
Freshen Up the Fridge
Got a refrigerator that smells like last week's dirty laundry? After discarding the rotten food, cover a cotton ball in lemon juice and leave it in your fridge when you head out to work for the day. When you get home, the smell will be gone.
Lemons can also freshen up your favorite cutting board. Cover the board with some coarse salt, then rub the surface with the fleshy side of a lemon. Your board will smell better and the lemon juice will sanitize it too.
Get Rid of Ants
As it turns out, ants are not citrus-fruit fans. If you have an infestation problem on your hands, spray a little lemon juice where you think the insects might be coming in. It can send them scurrying in the opposite direction.
Clean Up the Cheese Grater
That grater is probably one of the most annoying kitchen items to clean, with bits of cheese getting stuck in the hard-to-reach holes. Use the tool to grate the flesh of a lemon.
Deal With Your Disposal
You love your garbage disposal. You don't love the foul odors it emits. Throw a lemon peel in your disposal and turn it on to freshen things up in a flash.
Keep Brown Sugar Soft
Tired of your brown sugar sticking together? Scrape all the white pulp off a lemon rind and then store it inside the jar with your brown sugar. Your sugar will stay oatmeal-ready and won't harden or clump.
This article first appeared on popularmechanics.com
