Lots and Lots of Lemons In My House

I have lots of Lemons in my house and I am in heaven. With Spring looking like it is just around the corner, even though there was snow this morning, the fresh scent of lemon gets me in the mood of warmer, longer and sunnier days and having them in my kitchen and the scent around my house make things even brighter.
 Most people think that lemons are used just for cooking in the kitchen and in beverages. However, they have so many more uses in all rooms of the house from cleaning, refreshing and decorating. Lemons are a great all natural alternative cleaners that do not contain any of the harsh chemicals that conventional sanitizers, air fresheners, and household cleaners do and often do a much better job at the task at hand removing some the toughest stains from the the most delicate materials!

Cleaning:

1. Stain Remover on Linens - Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into a glass dish and use a q-tip to blot the stain on delicate linens like sheets, tea towels, tablecloths, napkins, and placemats. (Also, great for removing underarm stains from cotton shirts.)
2. Remove Stains on Marble, Polish Brass & Silver - If you have stain on light colored marble mix some baking soda with lemon juice to form a paste. Rub the paste on the stained area and let sit for 20 minutes, then wipe away the paste and the stain. 
3. Clean and Freshen Up Your Microwave - If you have a sticky and food cake microwave clean it quickly and easily with half a lemon. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of water and microwave on high for at least 7 minutes and more if it is really dirty. The lemon and water will steam the inside of the microwave softening the caked on food. Once the steam has condensed on the inside of the microwave wipe it away with a warm sponge or cloth. 
4. Make Your Chrome & Aluminum Sparkle - Just rub your chrome fixtures and aluminum pots and pans with some lemon slices to bring out their shine. Wipe after with a clean dry cloth. 

Freshening:

1. Garbage Disposal - If you have leftover halved lemons or rinds toss them down the garbage disposal to freshen it up (works with other citrus fruits too!) The bright citrusy scent with fill the whole kitchen.
2. De-funk a Room of Off Scents - Commercial Air Fresheners do not last long to help with unpleasant smells and most often smell fake and unpleasant themselves. The high end fresheners that lack all the chemicals are often expensive and perfumey. If you put a few slices of lemon in a bowl and leave it in a room within minutes the room will begin smelling fresh and the scent will last for hours and into the next day. This is great for rooms where animals and dirty laundry may linger. 
3. Brighten and Freshen Up a Cutting Board - About once a month or so I clean all of my wooden cutting boards with some fresh lemon before cleaning them with mineral oil. I will also freshen up any of my plastic boards with lemon juice between uses to remove any stains from the boards. 

New Ideas & Uses in the Kitchen:

1. Lemon Salt - If I have extra lemons in the kitchen that I know will not get used in a timely manner I will the zest for lemon scented salt and juice the lemon freezing the juice for future use. First you zest the whole lemon(s) and spread the zest out on a dish. Pop the dish into the microwave for 30 - 45 seconds to dry it out and then let it sit on the counter for 1 hour. Once the lemon zest is dry add it to 1/4 cup of sea salt per lemon in a glass mixing bowl. Combine the zest and salt and store in a glass jar or container in your spice cabinet. It is great to use in just about any dish 
2. Lemon Juice Ice Cubes - Often you have recipes that call for just the zest or juice of half a lemon. If I know I will not be using the juice of the lemon before it goes bad I will freeze the juice of the lemon in an ice cube tray in the fridge and use the cubes when needed for cooking or cleaning. Once the cubes are frozen I transfer them to a freezer bag that is labeled lemon cubes in the freezer, this way no one will get a lemon surprise in their drink!
3. Keep Your Rice Free - If your rice clumps up when cooking add a few tablespoons of juice to the water and it will remain free of clumps.
4. Keep you Fruits Fresh - If you are slicing up apples or pears for a lunch bag or cheese board spray the fruit with a bit of lemon juice to keep the slices from turning brow. You can do the same thing to keep and avocado or bowl of guacamole fresh too.