More Lemon Peel Uses Than You Can Shake a Stick At!
To understand how I feel about lemons, you don’t need to look much further than my lemon-themed Pinterest board and its 400+ pins. But really, who can blame me? Lemons are an amazingly useful fruit, and every part can be put to good use in a myriad of ways!
In this post, I wanted to focus on the usefulness of lemon peels specifically. That fragrant, sunshine yellow zest has a lot of useful properties, which made it easy to track down some brilliant uses for lemon peels!
21 Uses for Lemon Peels
1. Make Lemon-Scented Cleaning Vinegar
If making big pitchers of homemade lemonade is a summertime staple for you, you’ll have a steady supply of lemon peels you can use to make your own lemon-scented cleaning vinegar. It’s an easy process, and so worth it (both because it smells divine and works great for all sorts of cleaning tasks!) Learn how to make lemon-scented cleaning vinegar.
2. Brighten Skin
Lemon makes a great natural skin brightener, thanks to its naturally high levels of citric acid, a well-known bleaching agent. Apply lemon peels to your hands, elbows, heels and other areas to brighten skin and tighten pores.
3. Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal
You can clean the blades of your garbage disposal and make your whole kitchen smell fresh and clean with the help of a few chunks of lemon peel. Learn how to use lemon peels and vinegar to make disposal-cleaning lemon and vinegar ice cubes that will eliminate odors and clean the blades.
4. Ant-Proof Your Kitchen
Scatter small pieces of lemon peel along thresholds, windowsills, and near any cracks or holes where ants or pests may be entering your home. Ants don’t like lemon and will be deterred by it. (This also works with roaches and fleas too.)
5. Simmer on Your Stovetop
Along with cloves, cinnamon sticks, and orange peels, lemon rind makes a wonderfully fragrant addition to a simmering stovetop potpourri. Not only is it a great way to make your home smell nice, but it helps restore moisture to dry air too!
Related: This Is the Best Way to Make Your Home Smell Like Christmas
6. Remove Stains From Coffee Cups
Put a section of lemon peel into a stained coffee mug and add water. Let it sit for several hours, then wipe with a cloth. The stains should disappear.
7. Lemon Dust Cloths
With a few lemon peels, some olive oil, and a bit of vinegar, you can make a jar of lemon dusting cloths that grab onto dust and leave behind a fresh, clean scent. These cloths makes my least favorite chore a lot more pleasant!
8. Freshen Your Refrigerator
Cut lemon in half and stash it in your fridge to absorb any lingering food odors.
9. Clean Your Kettle
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 the water to a boil. Remove from heat (or turn off) and let the kettle sit for an hour, then drain and rinse well.
To clean a coffee pot, add ice, a splash of white vinegar, and a handful of sliced lemon rind to the empty pot. Swish and swirl for a minute or two, then dump and rinse.
10. Clean Your Microwave
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 inside. Carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe away the condensation and loosened grime with a damp towel.
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: How to Clean a Microwave With AND Without Vinegar
11. Polish Chrome, Copper, Brass & Stainless Steel
Cut through mineral deposits on chrome fixtures by rubbing them with a previously-juiced half of a lemon, then lightly buff with a soft cloth. Brighten copper, brass, or stainless steel by dipping a previously-juiced lemon half in salt (or baking soda and cream of tartar) and rubbing it on the affected area, letting it sit for 5 minutes, then rinsing with warm water before polishing with a dry cloth.
12. Makeshift Humidifier
If your home suffers from dry heat in the winter, put lemon peels in a pot of water and simmer on the lowest stove-top setting to humidify and scent the air.
13. Refresh Cutting Boards
The antibacterial properties of lemons make them a good choice for refreshing cutting boards. After disinfecting give the surface a rub with a halved lemon, let sit for a few minutes, and rinse. You can remove stains from cutting boards as well, with just half a lemon, salt, and sunshine!
14. Use the Zest in Food and Drinks
Zest is simply grated citrus peel, and you can use it fresh, dried, or frozen. If you don’t have a zester, use the smallest holes of a box grater. To dry zest, spread it on a towel and leave out until dried, then store in a jar. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container. Use zest in salads, marinades, baked goods, grain dishes, etc.
For lemon twists, use a vegetable peeler or a knife to cut a lemon peel into long strips, cutting away the bitter white pith and storing in a freezer-safe container or bag. Add them to cocktails, sparkling water, or tap water!
15. Make Lemon Powder
Using the method for lemon twists described above, dry the strips skin-side down on a plate for 3-4 days, then use a blender or spice grinder to turn it into a powder. Use the powdered peel in place of extract or zest in recipes, add it to pepper to make a great lemon pepper, or add to sugar as a delicious addition to drinks or homemade cookies.
16. Make Candied Lemon Peel
Candied lemon peels can be eaten plain, or dipped in melted chocolate, used in cake, cookie, candy, or bread recipes.
17. Create a Lemon Sugar Scrub
A lemon sugar scrub not only smells delightful, it brightens and softens your skin as well. All you need is some sugar, chopped lemon peel, and enough olive oil to make a paste. Use your DIY lemon sugar scrub before shaving or showering for silky smooth skin.
18. Soothe Travel Sickness
Suck on a piece of lemon skin to soothe a queasy stomach and overcome feelings of nausea.
More Ideas You'll Love
19. Make Fire Starters
Bake discarded orange or lemon peels until they darken to turn them into natural, fragrant fire starters.
20. Clean Your Grater
Remove dried food from your grater by rubbing with the pulp side of a cut lemon.
21. Trash Can Deodorizer
Throw a few lemon peels in the bottom of your garbage can from time to time to keep it smelling fresh.
For even more lemon-scented tips and tricks, check out these 22 uses for lemons.
Looking For More Posts Like This?
- I’ve written dozens of blog posts about creative alternative uses for everyday items, and now there’s a quick and easy way to peruse them!
- Check out all of my “Uses For” posts here.
Do you have a favorite use for lemon peels?
Can lemons be used to clean instant pot?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love all your suggestions and lament that I’ve thrown away the peels of thousands of lemons without even thinking about it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The only problem is that lemons are a winter crop. So unless you want to pay summer prices of a winter fruit, all this needs to be done in December or January.
I like the lemon peel idea for deterring ants. We sometimes have a problem with it at certain times of the year. I’m not sure why. We are definitely going to try this.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m thinking that the leftover vinegar-soaked lemon peels must be good for something. Ground up, maybe, into a paste? What could I use it for?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea! You could use it for sticky messes in the fridge, cleaning grout, or even in the tub/shower. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One of my favorite uses is for the grill! After a long day working in the heat to feed the masses, get the racks while they’re still warm-hot but not too hot. Just rub firmly along the grates to remove any stuck-on goo with a half-lemon. When they’ve cooled it makes the rest of the clean up easy peasy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Perfect!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can I just keep replacing the perks in the jars every few weeks? I have an abundance of lemons and many jars of vinegar in which I’ve begun the process again. I also was wondering if the variety of citrus matters? Like when I get pink lemons or blood oranges?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any citrus will work! I’ve never tried replacing the peels, but give it a try – it should work just fine!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love lemons and use many of your tips already, but I am very happy to learn about new ways to use lemons. Thank you for the wonderful information.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These are AWESOME! I’ve also had a lot of success using lemon peels for lemon confit. I just preserve them in mason jars with a lot of salt, lemon juice, and a touch of sugar. Once you let them preserve for a month or two, they are absolutely tasty on salads, with rice, and on fish.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.YUM!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.hi
can I use the lemon cleaner recipe w/ vinegar to clean a stainless steel stove?
Jean
Yes!
Loved it. Thank you for clarity and spark in your blog. Ina Marx.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I LOVE LEMONS ESPECIALLY MEYER LEMONS. The meyer lemon is cross between a tangerine and a lemon. It’s sweeter than a regular lemon. So much so, that you (or I) could eat the peels…………I’m thinking of grating the peel and using it to prevent these little black beetles from coming into my house. I will sprinkle it where they come in and see……………….Wish me luck, as these beetles have been a pest for the last month and a half…………I’m tired of having to vacuum them up every 3-4 hours…………..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Best of luck! Here are some tips for natural pest control :-) https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/05/31-natural-pest-control-methods-for-those-little-things-that-really-bug-you.html
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I did the same thing at Christmas, wanted to make an orange cleaner but only had a glut of lemons so I made lemon cleaner. Agreed it does a magic job and the smell is divine however I never once thought to dilute the vinegar prior to use so thanks for the headsup!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.love the great ideas for Lemons- i can smell them alreay!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I thought the idea of cutting lemon peel “strips” instead of grating them sounded like a good idea. Do you think adding the peels to a dehydrator would work to make the lemon powder?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee,
Love your bog….very informative with so much to learn! I also love love lemons and everything lemon! The lemon vinegar on today’s post, would that be safe to clean my arid wood floors and kitchen cabinets? I use the I gear with warm water on my floors, but my son also complains about the smell?? I figure the lemon scent will be a nicer scent if it won’t hurt the wood? Also, how about dusting furniture, is there enough oil from the lemon to protect it as I clean it?? Very damp dry cloth of course.
Thank you for your time!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If I put the peels in a gallon jar instead of quarts, will it need to sit longer. Thank you! Love your blog!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Nope! Two weeks will be just fine :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Excellent & informative! !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The recipe I have for orange vinegar says to make sure there is no pulp with the peels. Your recipe doesn`t seem concerned about pulp, which would make it much simpler to make.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do this with orange peels but will now have to try it with lemon peels. Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like your site
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jobin http://www.anysite.com/
My coder is trying to convince me to move tto .net from PHP.
I haqve always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using
WordPress on numerous websites for about a year and am
worried about switching too another platform. I have heard great things about blogengine.net.
Is there a way I can import all my wordpress polsts into it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any kind of helkp would be really appreciated!
http://reviewsentertainment.blogspot.com/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any tips?