Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
You can make more out of lemons than lemonade. In fact, lemon juice is a really useful liquid that can be used to clean your home, treat cold symptoms, and even be part of your beauty regimen. Check out these Brilliant Ways To Use Leftover Lemons Around The House.
What To Do With Leftover Lemons
Lemons, Lemons, Lemons…… Too Many Lemons – Here is what to do!
Have you ever purchased lemons and had to throw a few out? You had all the intentions in the world to use them but didn’t. Â
Or after squeezing the lemon juice from the lemon, you toss the leftover rind. Let’s explore other uses for leftover or extra lemons that may be floating around in your fridge.
You can make more out of lemons than lemonade.
In fact, lemon juice is a really useful liquid that can be used to clean your home, and can even be part of your beauty regimen. Let’s get frugal.Â
I’d wager a bet that no other fruit works quite as hard as the little lemon. Let’s start using lemons to their full potential. Let’s make every lemon we use a success, an overachiever … a winner.
We use to keep leftover lemons in a container in the refrigerator. But more often than not, I found that they would go bad before I even had a chance to use them.Â
Sad but true, and like many of us, I just can’t stand food waste. There are no savings in tossing out food.Â
By the end of this list, you’ll see just how much this little citrus fruit can do!
Freeze Your Extra Lemons
After slicing lemons that I knew my family would not be able to use up, we started to freeze them. Fresh lemon slices are so refreshing and lovely in a glass of water.
A frozen lemon slice is like a lemon ice cube! Â You actually get the same effect as having a fresh lemon slice in your water. Â
Over the summer, I actually sliced them up and froze all my lemon slices just to keep my water a little cooler and tastier.
Make a Tea with Lemon
When cold and flu season is upon us, nothing helps more at breaking down the mucus than lemon.
Squeeze that lemon juice into some hot water with a dash of honey – And there you have it – a sore throat remedy!Â
Freshen Up With Leftover Lemons – Beauty Hacks
Get rid of bad breath.
Squish a little lemon juice in a small bit of water and swish it around in your mouth for a few seconds. I know some may not like the taste of straight lemon juice.
If you can, DO IT!!!
Then swallow the juice for extra freshening. Lemon juice will also aid in digestion, and will give you a nice jolt of vitamin C!
Lighten blemishes.
If you have some blemishes or you notice your face darkening in pigment in some spots, put some lemon juice on it every day until it lightens.
The antioxidant content in lemon juice is known to help fight free radicals in the skin.
Whiten discolored elbows, heels, and knees.
 Just rub half a juiced lemon over the spotty areas and watch them disappear.Â
One reminder: Lemon juice increases sensitivity to sunlight, so don’t go gallivanting about in the daylight after using it on exposed skin.
Kick Start Your Morning
Drinking a glass of lukewarm lemon water when you first wake up in the morning is a great kickstart to your day! Tahlia from
Her Happy Heart goes into more detail here – healthy morning routine ideas.
Clean With Lemons Around The House – Kitchen Cleaning Hacks
Cut the grease & grime on that cutting board
Take extra lemon rinds and a little coarse salt (Kosher) to clean wooden cutting boards. If not taken care of properly, they can turn into a smelly (and in some cases, moldy) mess.
Sprinkle the salt liberally all over the board, then slice your lemon and use it to rub the salt into the board.
The salt acts as an abrasive to lift stains and the lemon juice leaves everything smelling great.
Throw it in the garbage disposal.
We also found out our garbage disposable LOVES lemon rinds (Nom, Nom, Nom). After dishes are rinsed, put half a lemon in the garbage disposal.
Run hot water for a few seconds and then run the disposal for a few seconds to lightly chop the lemon. Leave the chopped lemon in there overnight and finish the job in the morning.
Clean your microwave quickly.
Squeeze the juice out of half a lemon and put it in 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Run the microwave for 5 minutes.
The lemon juice steam majorly cuts down on wiping-off time.
After letting it cool down for a few minutes, take a damp cloth and wipe down your microwave. SPARKLING clean!
Use as a multipurpose cleaner.
Vinegar is one of my favorite natural cleaners.
I take the whole used lemon, lemon bits, or just the peels. Place them in a large pint glass and then fill the whole thing with distilled white vinegar.
After 24 hours, your vinegar will be infused with lemon. Perfect for wiping countertops, the stove, or cleaning your floor.
I don’t own it, but happen to know about a book called Lemon Magic: 200 Beauty and Household Uses for Lemon Juice. Clearly, my list has fallen short of 200.
However, you can check out this book to give you more great ideas. They offer some great ways to use leftover lemons.
Lemon Magic: 200 Beauty and Household Uses for Lemons and Lemon Juice (Paperback)
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What are some other ways to use leftover lemons around the house? If you have any special tips, please let us all know.
Drop us a comment below we would love to hear from you.
Other Household Tips & Tricks
How to make your own homemade carpet powder
How To Clean Kitchen Cabinets And Degrease All Naturally
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Stephenie says
My favorite way to use lemons is to squirt them over an avocado with a sprinkle of salt and pepper!
My garbage disposal loves to eat lemons too!
When we lived in California and had a lemon tree in the back yard, we used the lemons in place of tennis balls for the dogs. They loved the tennis ball tree, until they bit too hard into the “balls” and they got a mouth full of juice. :-))
Marlene Ingrid Hughes says
Lemons are toxic to dogs!!!
rmschiavi says
I love to use lemons (cut in half, or quarters) when I make stock. Roasting the meat scraps with your vegetable ends and scrapings and lemon gives it a really hearty flavour. After roasting, move to a large pot and fill with water, boil, strain and voila!
Tracy Upham says
You could also zest your lemons before putting them in the disposal and freeze the zest to use in recipes later.
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
AHHHH… Great Idea Tracy!!!! Thank you for sharing
Debra Bain says
Good to know?
Alissa says
You can also use left-over lemons to make lemon cookies. You can grate the lemon and squeeze the juice for some delicious cookies, cake, or icing.
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
That is another GREAT tip! Thanks, Alissa for sharing!
Dee Dee says
I was checking out this page because I wanted to know what to do with lemons after I had made Lemon cookies. I have lots of zested lemons and left over juice.
Matt Taylor says
Awesome ideas! You can also make a candied lemon peel with the leftover peels. So yummy. 🙂
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
Love that suggestion. Thank you
Heather says
I had no idea that lemons could be used for so many things! Can’t wait to try some!
Brandy Ellen Writes says
I always have lemons on hand because they truly are a wonderful fruit to add to water, then you can clean the house with them, and so on. It’s amazing the list of ways to use lemons around the home.
Dreaming Loud says
Lemons are so useful! When I was younger I don’t use it that much but when I knew how to use in different ways. We rarely waste even a single piece of it.
Ann says
Supersmart advice, thank you 🙂
Ntensibe Edgar Michael says
Hhhhmmmm….the garbage disposal idea is totally new to me! I am yet to try it out. Lemons never cease to amuse me. So small but yet so useful to us and in our lives.
yana says
great tips, just need to remember all of them LOL , look for new tips. thanks
the joyous living says
wow. now i want to go buy a bag of lemons. thanks for all the tips!! i would love to try it for my face. joy
Tiffany La Forge-Grau says
I always hated wasting what was left of lemons. There are a ton of great things you can use them for.
Fatima Torres says
Leomns do make a difference when you use them to clean your home and space.
Lily says
I like these tips. Never though to freeze them and I should clean my cutting board with them!
Lavinia says
I grate for zest…use when a recipe calls for zest then
Cutt, squeeze and freeze to use the juice in recipes too.
So useful.
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
Great ideas!!! Thank you for sharing.
littlemisadvencha says
ive read a lot of articles about the use of lemons, but not of the leftovers. very interesting post. thank you for sharing!
Eileen M Loya says
I will try the tip for cleaning the microwave with left over lemons. I also use the lemon rinds to ward off the stray cats from my flower garden. It works well for me. I guess cats just don’t like the smell of lemons.
Lavern Moore says
These are some great ideas on how to use leftover lemons. Will try them out.
Nina says
thank you for sharing these suggestions, I love making lemon cookies or muffins
Lisa Rios says
I like making lemonade honestly with leftover lemons, I’m an old fashioned gal.
Elisha F says
Leftover Lemons are great for cleaning. I hear they take rust off well too.
Autumn says
I love lemons but I didn’t realize all of the purposes that they serve. I put lemons in my disposal and slive and freeze for drinking water. But, I never new about the microwave and water boiling trick? Makes sense!
Lea Luminarias says
Love the idea of freezing them up. I never tried that. 🙂 Also, it’s true that it can whiten skin. Been doing it for months and I saw a difference now.
Christine Weis says
Yes! Lemons have so many wonderful uses. My sister has always put lemon juice on her face and her skin is beautiful. I need to try to do that regularly.
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
I need to get better at that too…
Meki (Redefining Us) says
Didn’t know that lemons can help with bad breath! Will take note of that. Have been using it for my dark spots though and can attest that it works!!
Colleen says
I clean with lemon all the time, and I put it in my water, too. I didn’t realize you could use it for beauty purposes.
Bright snow Loveland says
What a great Post. I never knew lemon can be use to clean microwave. Soo interesting. I will have to give it a try. Thanks
Matt Taylor says
So many awesome uses for lemons. Besides lemonade haha. I love using the zest from the peel in dishes. And I have been putting the peel in the disposal for ages now. Also, you can make candied citrus peel as well.
Nicole Anderson - Camping for Women says
I enjoy sliced lemons in a drink of water and knew about their properties for cleaning but was surprised to learn a few more applications here that I hadn’t considered. Throwing it the garbage disposal as well as using it to lighten blemishes on the skin were both new to me. Just goes to show how versatile and useful lemons are compared with other foods we buy.
Marie Phillips says
I knew about the cleaning properties, but had no idea it could lighten blemishes! And now I’m going to go buy lemons for that and then use them to eat/make lemonade as well!
Lyanna Soria says
This is why I love lemons. They have plenty of uses aside from being used as food ingredients in dishes. Those are some great uses you got compiled and thanks for sharing.
Nkem says
Lemons are actually the best and most functional multiuse food item I’ve come across. I never thought about freezing them! Best believe I’m doing that for the rest of the summer!
the joyous living says
oh my gosh!!! i am totally going to be using your tip for cleaning the microwave!
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
RIGHT!!! and the smell…. YUM and clean at the same time
Steven Morrissette says
Your tricks are great ? love lemon too. Good article.
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
Thank you!!! 🙂
Chuck Morrissette says
Steve
I had a brother named Steve Morrissette, lived in Mesa Az
Wondering if we are related!
Kuntala Bhattacharya says
These are excellent tips. Leftover lemon is very common in almost all houses. I use it for reducing the black marks in my elbow and knee.
Emman Damian says
It’s interesting that it can whiten discolored elbows, heels, and knees. I’ll start keeping and preserving left over lemons then!
Rosey says
That’s a good idea to freeze them. I love lemons.
Shannon says
Absolutely going to try the lemon in the microwave. I use lemons in the garbage disposal but the other uses I have never thought of.
katrina Kroeplin says
those are awesome ideas. we have used them for warding off bugs.
khoingn | The Broad Life says
Wow! These are such great tips to save the lemon from wasted. Thanks a lot for sharing this!
Lily says
I’m going to try freezing them more and make my own ice cubes for that. I definitely use it for cleaning a lot!
Tutu says
Living in FL with a big lemon tree, we always have more than we can use. After gifting all of our friends who want them each year, we juice the remainder and freeze the juice in regular old ice trays. When set, we pop them out and collect them in a gallon freezer bag that we keep in our freezer. Whenever a recipe calls for lemon, I figure two tsps per ice cube and so far recipes have turned out good. I also zest some of the rind in another freezer ziplock type bag and can take a pinch out each time I need some. Hate to waste anything that God has given us!
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
AMEN to this!!! Thank you for sharing your tips with us. I can only imagine how many lemons you get each harvest.
jassica says
Its awesome way that you explain , am gona try this soon give feedback to you .
Thank you so much for sharing this with us .
Melanie says
I have a lemon tree that is over flowing with lemons so I need some ideas on what to do with the lemons before they go bad and drop.
I made a big batch of limoncello and gave it to friends. I think I’m going to make lemon curd with some of the lemons, then probably juice, zest and freeze them
Jen @ Inspiring Savings says
WOW, Melanie! How wonderful you have a lemon tree. Living in the northeast I am a little envious. I am so happy you are able to make so many wonderful things with lemons. How many on average does your tree produce every year?
Safari in Tanzania says
Nice post, Thanks for sharing!
Uptoword says
I love using leftover lemons around the house! They are great for cleaning, cleaning up smells, and adding a little zing to dishes.