22 Uses for Lemon Peels

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what to do with all those lemon peels? Don’t toss them; put them to work. Lemon juice is about 5 to 6 percent citric acid and has a pH level of between 2 and 3. This low pH acidity makes lemon juice a great ally in breaking down rust and mineral stains, but gentle enough to not dull finishes. There is generally sufficient juice left in used lemon halves to tackle small tasks, and it all comes with its own applicator (the rind itself). Plus, the oil in the peel is perfect for clever culinary applications, and not bad in the beauty department either. Here’s what you can do:

Around the House

1. Clean greasy messes
Greasy pans? Splattered stove tops? Messy counters? If your kitchen has been the victim of some sloppy sauteing, try using lemon halves before bringing out possibly toxic chemical cleaners. Sprinkle some salt (for abrasion) on a juiced lemon half and rub on the greasy areas, wipe up with a towel. (Be careful using lemon on marble counter tops, or any other surface which may be sensitive to acid).

2. Clean your tea kettle or coffee pot
For mineral deposit build up in your tea kettle, fill the kettle with water, add a handful of thin slices of lemon peel and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for an hour, drain, and rinse well. For coffee pots, add ice, salt and lemon rinds to the empty pot; swish and swirl for a minute or two, dump, and rinse. Hello, sparkly.

3. Clean your microwave
All it takes is one exploding bowl of food to render the interior of your microwave officially gunked, sometimes gunked with cement-like properties. Rather than using strong chemical cleaners, try this: Add lemon rinds to a microwave-safe bowl filled halfway with water. Cook on high for 5 minutes, allowing the water to boil and the steam to condense on the walls and tops of the oven. Carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe away the mess with a towel.

4. Deodorize the garbage disposal
Use lemon peels to deodorize the garbage disposal (and make your kitchen smell awesome at the same time). It is a great way to finally dispose of spent lemon peels after you have used them for any of these applications.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Carla S.

7:36AM PDT on May 5, 2012

great info. Thanks.

send a green star

Susan S.

1:03PM PST on Feb 3, 2012

Great ideas. Thanks.

Gary C.

6:49PM PST on Dec 22, 2011

Thankyou.....

Sarah M.

2:06PM PDT on Oct 24, 2011

thanks

Deepti P.

10:02PM PDT on Oct 12, 2011

thanx

Denise L.

7:47PM PDT on Oct 10, 2011

my daughter rubs them on her legs right after shaving and it makes her legs incredibly smooth

*but stings a little

Malti R.

8:23AM PDT on Oct 9, 2011

We in India have used Lemons on skin, vessels and even in shampoos..But, as a deodorizer or for insects it doesnt work well, as they rot very fast in humid weather / they also attract fruit flies- lots of them..
we used to dry them and powder them and add to home made shampoos

Jayne B.

7:31AM PDT on Oct 9, 2011

Thank you so much for these interesting and useful tips!

8:37PM PDT on Sep 15, 2011