Great For More Than Lemon-aid

Great for More Than Lemon-Aid

By Joseph Parish

As a survivalist we continually search for items which can "multitask" so to speak. We want supplies which can generally perform more with than a single work assignment. This saves us valuable space when planning our retreat or home emergency supplies. Here are a few of my favorite uses for lemons which perform well outside of their intended environment.

Let's now discuss this double life of the common lemon. The acid which is contained in lemon juice tends to remove dirt and rust stains from most items. The acid becomes particularly effective when mixed in combination with table salt. The mixture creates an exceptional scouring paste. They can be employed in cleaning your kitchen countertops as well. Merely dip the cut side of a half lemon in baking soda and rub on your grimy counter top. Afterwards, wipe the counter with a wet sponge and then dry well. A word of precaution is due here, don't use this homemade formula on any delicate stones such as marble or even on stainless steel as it may discolor it.

In order to remove some of those tough food stains from your kitchen cutting board, slice your lemon in half and squeeze the juice out onto the surface of the board. Rub it in well and then allow the board to sit undisturbed for one half an hour. Finally, rinse it off and the stains should come off as well. To increase your dish washing detergents grease cutting power add one teaspoon of lemon juice. Now you understand why all these dishwasher detergent companies advertise lemon scented products.

The list of uses grows even larger for the lemon as we cover lime scale on your facets. By rubbing lemon juice on them and allowing it to sit overnight the following day they can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Have you ever noticed the distasteful smell that emits from your garbage disposal? This is rotting food that becomes clogged within it. To eliminate the odors, take and cut a lemon in half than place both pieces into your disposal and turn it on.

When you spill your morning coffee on your kitchen counter top, it often stains the grout between the tiles. To properly clean between your tiles take some fresh lemon juice and combine several teaspoons of cream of tartar to it. Cream of tartar is an acidic salt, which acts as a bleaching agent. Mix until you have a thick paste and then apply it to the counter with an old toothbrush. Finally, rinse the counter off to remove the cleaner completely.

Lemons are great for removing the smell of fish after making the evening dinner. Merely rub your hand with the juice and the odor will be neutralized. To make your whites brighter during laundry day add 1/2 of a cup of lemon juice to the wash during the rinse cycle. Lastly, plastic food storage containers frequent get un-removable stains on them. In order to get rid of these unsightly stains, rub the lemon juice directly onto the spots, let the item sit in a bright sunny spot for about 20 to 30 minutes and then wash it as usual.

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