Lovely Lemons

What better excuse to plant a beautiful lemon tree in your garden than these incredible tips and tricks?!  
Lemons have long been known for their cleaning, deoderising, disinfecting, and health properties, and with the current lifestyle evolution towards organic living there are hundreds of ways you can use them safely and sustainably in your own home, making them a versatile, child-and-pet-friendly product that you can’t afford to not use.

IN THE VEGGIE GARDEN
You never know what kind of pesticides, bugs, or dirt may be lurking on the skin of your carefully gardened fruits and vegetables.  Slice a lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle. The lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and insect repellent, plus it will leave your fruits and vegetables smelling nice too.

IN THE HOME
You don’t need insecticides to ant-proof your kitchen.  Just give it the lemon treatment!  First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills, then squeeze lemon juice into any cracks where the ants are getting in.  Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around outdoor entrances.  Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee.  They hate the smell, but it’s lovely for us, not to mention the added grime-removal and odour-cleansing properties it brings to the cleaning.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Digestive problems are a common ailments - add warm water with a bit of lemon juice to your morning ritual to recify your body’s pH balance and reduce the production of free radicals in your body for anti-aging properties.  Lemon juice is also believed to help purify the blood, reduce indigestion, constipation, eliminate toxins from the body, aid digestion, help arthritic pain, and reduce phlegm in allergy-prone kids. 
Pure lemon juice can also be applied directly to remove warts, disinfect cuts, and lighten age spots... just dab a bit on, and rinse 15 minutes later!  You can also gargle with a solution for oral health, fresh breath, and whiter teeth, or apply it to your hair in the sun to freshen those highlights.

IN THE KITCHEN
Remove refrigerator odours with ease!  Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours, or alternatively leave a freshly cut lemon open in the fridge, cupboards, or even in your garbage bin to keep it fresher for longer.  
Lemons also work really well to refresh cutting boards or clean the braai grid, simply by cutting them up and rubbing, not to mention adding a teaspoon to your recipes will keep guacamole green and cauliflower white, without altering the taste.