There are lots of household and personal care uses for lemons, including making your own cleaning products, concocting time-proven health remedies and mixing up do-it-yourself skin care products. Most of these uses require lemon juice, but what can you do with leftover lemons that you have already juiced?
 
If you use lemons frequently for juicing, tea or making lemonade, you likely have lots of leftover lemon halves and might be wondering how to reuse lemons instead of sending them to the landfill.
 
In our house, we go through at least one lemon each day when I make my morning green smoothie – two if my wife also makes one. Right now, I’m only using the juice from the lemon, but I’m considering including more of the pulp – or even a little peel – to reduce waste and see how it affects the flavor.
 
In the meantime, I have at least one whole, leftover lemon to somehow reuse every day. While most of them are still going in my compost bin, I have been trying some new ways to reuse lemons after I have juiced them. So I thought I would share them with you...

1. Add them to your compost bin.

Used lemons and lemon peels can be added to your compost bin to provide you with nutrient-rich compost for use in your vegetable garden. However, you do not want to add too much citrus to your compost pile, so this option is best for folks who occasionally have some leftover lemons.
 
2. Slice the halves and use them in tea.

Although you may have already juiced your lemon halves, they likely still have a bit of juice left in them. If so, you can slice the halves and keep them in a mason jar or other glass container in your refrigerator to use in your tea throughout the day.
 
3. Deodorize your refrigerator with used lemons.

If there is still some pulp left in your lemons, you can simply set the used lemon halves in the refrigerator to remove odors.
 
4. Deodorize your litter box area.

I live with five cats, so we are always happy to find new ways to keep our cat room odor free. Aside from constantly cleaning multiple litter boxes, we also reuse lemons by placing the leftover lemon halves in a bowl near the cat boxes.
 
5. Deodorize your recycling bin or trash can.

You can also reuse leftover lemons by placing some slices in the bottom of your recycling bin or trash can to ward off odors. Just remember to change them out regularly, since they will decompose.
 
6. Deodorize and kill germs on your cutting boards.

This is one of my favorite uses for lemons – mostly because it is so easy and I always have a cutting board out right at the moment when I make my morning juice and end up with two lemon halves to somehow reuse. I don’t generally notice much of an odor coming from my cutting boards, but I do chop a lot of garlic and onions, so I’m sure the lemons are helping.

All you do is take one of your lemon halves and rub it (cut side down) all over the cutting board. Wait for a few minutes before rinsing and drying your cutting board to let the lemon’s antibacterial qualities work their magic.

7. Clean your microwave.

I usually clean my microwave by microwaving a bowl of vinegar, and then wiping it down with a rag. However, one day I had a couple of lemon halves sitting on the counter and wondered if it might work just as well. After all, lemons are used for all kinds of cleaning purposes, so it made sense that they might also work for this.
 
To clean your microwave with leftover lemons, simply place them in a microwave-safe bowl about half filled with water and microwave it for about thirty seconds. Carefully remove the bowl and use a rag to wipe down your microwave.
 
This also works to deodorize your microwave.
 
8. Remove hard water stains and soap scum with lemons.

We have hard water and we have decided not to install a water softener. So, while that means that we, our furry friends and our plants can all enjoy using water right from the tap, it also means that our fixtures get some serious hard water stains. I have not found a perfect solution for this, but my leftover lemons do help. They are also particularly good at just general cleaning of my stainless steel kitchen sink.
 
9. Clean and shine chrome fixtures.

Another of the many uses of lemons is to clean and shine chrome fixtures around the house. To do this, you just need to rub the lemon all over the kitchen or bathroom fixture – which may include a bit of scrubbing if you have hard water – then rinse and dry with a soft cloth or rag.  
 
10. Shine your stainless steel silverware.

For some reason, my stainless steel silverware gets spots on it, which I’m pretty sure are rust spots. I have used aluminum foil to scrub these spots off before, but lately I have been trying a little salt and lemon, which seems to do the trick. I just sprinkle some salt on the spot, and then scrub it with one of my juiced lemons.
 
11. Clean your coffee pot.

Long, long ago when I worked in a restaurant, we used to put salt, ice and lemon wedges in glass coffee pots, swish it around for a couple of minutes, and then rinse them out and let them air dry. This helped to sanitize them and was great for getting that pesky brown ring that always seems to form about halfway up the side of the pot.

12. Eliminate kitchen odors.

Toss your used lemons in a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and then set it to simmer for a few hours on the stove. This natural deodorizer will freshen the air while allowing you to get a second use out of your lemons. You can also do this on a stove used to heat your home by placing the lemon pieces in water in a cast iron kettle or pot.
 
13. Deodorize your garbage disposal.

This is an oldie but goodie and is worth mentioning – just in case you have not yet heard of this household use for lemons. All you need to do here is drop your leftover lemon pieces in your garbage disposal to be ground up next time you turn it on. Keep in mind that your garbage disposal may not be able to handle lemon halves, so you may need to chop them up smaller before dropping them into the disposal.
 
14. Ward off ants.

I have only seen this used for ants, but I have heard that it also works for fleas. All you need to do is slice up your used lemons and scatter them around anywhere ants might be coming inside your house, such as doorways and windowsills. You can also scatter them outside around food prep areas or entertaining areas to keep ants away.
 
15. Make lemon twists for water or cocktails.

Slice off the peel, toss the pulp in your compost bin, and slice the peel into thin strips. You can then save these strips to use as lemon twists to garnish cocktails later that night or to make your water bottle look extra fancy throughout the day.
 
Bartending helped pay for my undergrad degree, so you can trust me when I tell you that twisting the rind to release the citrus oil -- and then rubbing it around the rim of a cocktail glass before placing it inside or on the edge as a garnish – can do amazing things for a drink.
 
16. Make infused water.

While we are on the topic of enhancing drinks with lemons, it is a good time to mention that you can also make lemon-infused water with your leftover juicing lemons. Simply slice your used lemon halves thinly, place them in a mason jar or glass pitcher, fill the jar or pitcher with water and put it in the fridge for a few hours.
 
You can also make lemon-infused water in a drink dispenser by adding water, sliced lemons and ice, which you can then use as your drinking water throughout the day or for serving guests. If you are not a huge fan of water, you might want to try adding lemons to water and leaving it to infuse overnight in the fridge for a refreshing, flavored drink to enjoy the next day.
 
17. Heal rough or cracked heels.

If cracked heels are an issue for you, try reusing lemons to soften them. To use lemons to soften heels, you cut them in half, squeeze out most of the juice, and then keep the lemon half intact to cup your heel and let it work its all-natural, heel-softening magic. Since we are talking about how to reuse lemons you have already juiced, this is perfect (since you would have to juice them anyways).
 
The trick is keeping the lemon halves on your heels for an extended period of time, because you will need to have them on for at least an hour each time you do it. Of course, if it better if you can leave them on for a few hours – or even overnight.
 
The only way I have found to effectively do this is to put heel socks over them to hold them in place. The problem is, it is very difficult to find this type of sock without that annoying gel in them. I occasionally find them on Amazon, so you may want to try there.
 
18.  Make natural potpourri and sachets.

To make all-natural potpourri or sachets, you first need to remove all of the pulp from the lemons. Then cut the peel into strips and dry them. You can dry lemon peels by laying them out for several days or by using your dehydrator. Take your dried lemon peels and mix them with cloves, dried flowers, cinnamon sticks and other aromatic herbs or spices. If you want to enhance the fragrance further, you can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oils – such as orange, lemon, clove or cinnamon. Put your potpourri mixture in a mason jar or another sealed container and leave it sealed for at least a few days (but preferably longer for a stronger scent) before placing it in baskets, bowls or sachets to use around the house.

Okay, what did I miss?

What are your favorite ways to reuse lemons after juicing them?

Whether or not you are the handy sort, this is a great magazine for anyone who likes to take on household projects or get inspired to create a DIY bookcase.

I subscribe to this one, and I love the step-by-step instructions and the DIY, money-saving inspiration on just about every page.

Handyman magazine has a little bit of everything, including energy efficiency, auto maintenance, woodworking, decorating and general home repairs.

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In my opinion, commercial glass cleaners are one of the biggest schemes out there. Advertisements over the last 50 years seem to have convinced us that we need to put out our hard-earned dollars to buy chemical-laden cleaning products to get streak-free, sparkling, clean windows. Further, we seem to have collectively forgotten that our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and those who came before managed to keep their windows (and the rest of their homes) spotless with all-natural, DIY cleaning products that took seconds to make and cost only pennies.

I’ve been using DIY glass cleaner for years, and my windows look just as good as all of my neighbors that don’t use a homemade window cleaner recipe. Plus, when you use homemade DIY cleaning products that are all natural, you aren’t introducing additional toxic chemicals into your home.

Saving money and cleaning without chemicals are good enough reasons to start making your own DIY glass cleaner, right?

Here’s how easy it is…

DIY Glass Cleaner Recipe

What you need:
A spray bottle
Distilled white vinegar
Water

What you do:

1. Pour a ½ cup of distilled white vinegar into the spray bottle.
2. Fill the spray bottle with water.
3. Shake it up, and get to cleaning those windows!

If you have been using commercial glass cleaners up to this point, you will want to add a few drops of liquid dish soap or Dr. Bronner’s to this mix the first time you clean your windows with your DIY glass cleaner. Conventional window cleaners can leave a residue on the glass, so you will get a streaky finish if you switch to a vinegar-water mix without adding liquid soap to remove the residue.

Once you have cleaned your windows with the vinegar-water-liquid soap mix once or twice, you’ll get sparkling, clean windows with just the vinegar-water mix from there on out.

Do you have a favorite DIY glass cleaner recipe? If so, let us know in the comments!

Have you ever noticed how many neckties are for sale at thrift stores and yard sales? Once I realized how cheap used neckties were, I started picking them up whenever I had the chance and using them as purse straps on some the handbags I make. Some are made from silk or wool, so they aren’t all appropriate for vegans, but if you sift through the piles, you are sure to find plenty of usable used ties to repurpose into clothing, accessories or home décor.

Recycling neckties and giving them new life is a fun project for crafty folks, but even if you are not that crafty, you will find that the projects below take very little skill…particularly because I’ve linked to a step-by-step tutorial for almost all of them!

How to Repurpose Neckties (as they are)

Neckties are kind of cool just as they are, which makes them easy to repurpose for other uses without the need to cut, sew or otherwise change them. For example, you can use a necktie as a headband or a belt by simply looping them around your head or waist and tying them.

Sewing Projects with Thrift Store Neckties

If you have a sewing machine, or know someone who does, there is almost no end to what you can do with a few repurposed neckties.

Here are just a few examples of how you can upcycle neckties into clothing, accessories or home décor:

1. Make a necktie skirt. Long or short, skirts made from neckties are pretty cute, and they couldn’t be easier to make. Check out this tutorial to learn how to make your own necktie skirt. If you don’t want to have to take your skirt to the dry cleaner, make sure you use washable ties!

2. Make necktie placemats and napkin rings. Again, you will probably want to use washable neckties for this project, since it is awfully nice to be able to wash your placemats every once in a while. Check out this tutorial for step-by-step instructions for making necktie placemats and necktie napkin rings.

3. Repurpose neckties as purse handles or backpack straps. I have personally done this one many times, and my little purses with necktie straps always seem to be popular at the craft fairs. If you aren’t really the handbag type, you can also use thrift store neckties to make backpack straps, as shown in this tutorial.

4. Make a necktie purse, shopping tote or school bag. If you are feeling particularly crafty, you can even make an entire purse, shopping tote or school bag from neckties you pick up at a thrift store or yard sales. This necktie school bag tutorial will show you how it’s done.

5. Make a memorial quilt (or just a regular ol’ quilt). Are you a quilter? If so, you might consider seeking out some neckties to add to your fabric stash. If you lost someone who loved to wear ties, you can make a memorial quilt – like this one – that will keep his or her memory close at hand, or you can simply pick up some used neckties and incorporate them into your favorite quilt pattern.

6. Create artwork to hang on the wall. Mini quilts, framed quilts, neckties attached to a backing and framed – wherever your creativity takes you, used neckties are a great medium for hanging artwork.

7. Sew up some necktie throw pillows or pillow covers. Making necktie pillows is incredibly simple and can be accomplished by either making necktie placemats (using the tutorial above), and then a plain fabric backing, or by making mini tie quilts to use as the front of the pillows.

8. Make a smartphone or music player pouch. Need a new case for your smartphone or MP3 player? Why not whip one up from an old necktie? This tutorial shows how to make a necktie iPhone pouch, which should also work (either as is or slightly modified) for other phones and music players.

Do you have other ideas for cool ways to use old neckties? If so, share them in the comments!

In my opinion, commercial glass cleaners are one of the biggest schemes out there. Advertisements over the last 50 years seem to have convinced us that we need to put out our hard-earned dollars to buy chemical-laden cleaning products to get streak-free, sparkling, clean windows. Further, we seem to have collectively forgotten that our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and those who came before managed to keep their windows (and the rest of their homes) spotless with all-natural, DIY cleaning products that took seconds to make and cost only pennies.

I’ve been using DIY glass cleaner for years, and my windows look just as good as all of my neighbors that don’t use a homemade window cleaner recipe. Plus, when you use homemade DIY cleaning products that are all natural, you aren’t introducing additional toxic chemicals into your home.

Saving money and cleaning without chemicals are good enough reasons to start making your own DIY glass cleaner, right?

Here’s how easy it is…

DIY Glass Cleaner Recipe

What you need:

A spray bottle
Distilled white vinegar
Water

What you do:

1. Pour a ½ cup of distilled white vinegar into the spray bottle.
2. Fill the spray bottle with water.
3. Shake it up, and get to cleaning those windows!

If you have been using commercial glass cleaners up to this point, you will want to add a few drops of liquid dish soap or Dr. Bronner’s to this mix the first time you clean your windows with your DIY glass cleaner. Conventional window cleaners can leave a residue on the glass, so you will get a streaky finish if you switch to a vinegar-water mix without adding liquid soap to remove the residue.

Once you have cleaned your windows with the vinegar-water-liquid soap mix once or twice, you’ll get sparkling, clean windows with just the vinegar-water mix from there on out.

Do you have a favorite DIY glass cleaner recipe? If so, let us know in the comments!

Now…I know most of you probably don’t spend your afternoons lovingly crafting homemade jam and canning the abundance of leftover vegetables from your backyard garden (although that does sound like a great way to spend an afternoon!), but you don’t have to be a canner to have dozens of uses for mason jars.

Seriously, canning jars are amazingly versatile, and we can thank the likes of John L. Mason, Henry William Putnam, the Ball brothers, Alexander H. Kerr and a list of other recognizable last names for their contributions to the advancement of glass jar technology. But I know you didn’t come here for a canning jar history lesson, so let’s move right along to the purpose of this post.

Actually, I do have one more quick thing I want to say before we delve into the many uses of the common canning jar: Many of the metal lid options have a lining that contains Bisphenol A (BPA), which is an endocrine disruptor. Keep an eye out for BPA-free options, and if you do end up with lids that contain BPA, I would recommend either swapping them out with BPA-free canning jar lids or using those jars for non-food purposes. If you can’t get around it and have to use the ones with BPA, leave space between the contents and the lid, and make sure you keep the jars upright, to avoid contact.

Tattler Reusable Wide Mouth Canning Lids with rubber rings are one BPA-free option; however, they do contain POM, which has trace amounts of formaldehyde that can be released at high temperatures. While this temperature is nearly twice as hot as a home pressure canner’s maximum temperature, it is still something to consider. Alternatively, you can use all-glass jars with metal clamp closures and gaskets (like these Le Parfait French Glass Canning Jars or these Bormioli Rocco Fido Round Clear Jars). These jars are perfect for food storage and non-food uses, but not all jars of this type are suitable for canning, so check the specs.

Okay, back to the awesomeness of mason jars…

Canning and fruit jars are inexpensive, reusable, easy to clean, way better than plastic food containers and lend themselves well to a variety of uses. They come in an array of shapes and sizes, making them even more versatile, and have a nostalgic side that increases their appeal for use around the house. Basically, they rock.

To show just how much they rock and provide a bit of inspiration for creative ways to use cheap, plastic-free mason jars, here are XXXXX ways to use jars for storage, organization, craft projects, gift giving and more. Keep in mind that you don’t have to start out by purchasing a case of new jars; you can find used jars at garage sales and thrift shops, or you can start out by using the glass jars in which store-bought products like salsa, pasta sauce and jam often come.

23 Uses for Canning Jars in the Kitchen & Dining Room

1. Use for making homemade jams and canning produce.
2. Use as everyday drinking glasses.
3. Serve chilled desserts, such as vegan chocolate pudding or vegan chocolate mousse.
4. Use as travel mugs with these cool, BPA-free, to-go drinking lids for mason jars from Cuppow.
5. Store leftovers (or send some home with your quests).
6. Take soup to a sick friend.
   
7. Make and store vegan vanilla sugar.
8. Make DIY vegan vanilla extract.
9. Keep ground coffee fresh after grinding a few days’ worth of beans.
10. Store dry goods, such as flours, spices, dried herbs, beans, rice, lentils, grains and nutritional yeast.
11. Store other bulk food items, such as pasta, popcorn, cookies, granola, nuts, cereals, dried foods and all the other goodness you can find in the bulk food section.
12. Store your sourdough starter.
13. Store homemade almond, rice or soy milk.
14. Use as a cookie jar for vegan treats.
15. Organize and hold cooking utensils.
16. Use as a spoon rest while cooking.
17. Store homemade salad dressings, gravies and sauces.
18. Use as a sugar bowl.
19. Create a simple centerpiece using canning jars and wild flowers, lemons, pine cones, rocks or other natural elements.
20. Use a large mason jar to make sun tea.
21. Avoid plastic containers by using small glass jars for packing lunches. (I use small jars to send oatmeal, cookies, applesauce and more in my partner’s lunch.)
22. Use larger glass jars to take a salad to work. (Check out this Healthy.Happy.Life. blog post for inspiration and great pictures.)
23. Store time-saving homemade mixes, such as pancake mix, bread mix, bean soup mix or brownie mix.

5 Uses for Canning Jars in the Office, Workshop or Garage

1. Use small mason jars as snack containers to keep in your desk drawer at work or in your home office.
2. Attach the lids to the bottom of shelves in your garage or office (so that you can screw on the jar for under-shelf storage) and use them to store screws, nuts, bolts or office supplies.
3. Use a canning jar as a pen and pencil holder on your desk.
4. Grab some small glass jars to organize paperclips, binder clips and other small office supplies.
5. Use a short, wide-mouth jar as a business card holder.

8 Uses for Canning Jars in the Craft Room and for Gift Giving

1. Make a canning jar lamp with these instructions.
2. Use them for kids craft projects, such as snow globes or sand art.
3. Use them for DIY projects, like candles, potpourri or holiday decorations.
4. Decorate them as gift containers for bath salts, recipe kits or other gift ideas.
   
5. Create a home spa gift basket with DIY pampering products stored in mason jars.
6. Make awesome hostess gifts, like a vegan recipe with all of the ingredients layered inside a canning jar.
   
7. Use them to store jewelry findings or sewing notions, such as buttons, beads and thread.
8. Use a jar for cleaning or storing paint brushes.

Deodorizing your carpet with baking soda is a cheap, eco-friendly, chemical-free way to refresh your carpet and get rid of those stubborn smells left behind by your animal friends and everyday living. Unlike perfumed, chemical-laden commercial carpet refreshers that mask odors, baking soda absorbs and neutralizes smells without irritating fragrances and harsh chemicals.

This DIY carpet deodorizer couldn’t be simpler to make and use, and you probably already have everything you need. If you don’t currently have baking soda in your pantry, the cheapest place to find it will likely be the bulk foods section of your local grocery store.

Below you will find step-by-step instructions for refreshing your carpet with either an unscented or scented baking soda odor eliminator.

Basic Baking Soda Carpet Deodorizer (Unscented)

Step 1: Vacuum your carpet thoroughly.

Step 2: Block off the area to keep animals and children off of the carpet.

Step 3: Liberally sprinkle baking soda over the area to be deodorized.

Step 4: Allow the baking soda to work its magic for at least 20 minutes, while keeping in mind that several hours might be better for stubborn odors.

Step 5: Vacuum up the baking soda. (If you used a lot of baking soda, you can also sweep up the excess before vacuuming.)

Step 6: Enjoy your fresh-smelling carpet!


Scented Carpet Deodorizing Powder

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl or container, mix baking soda with your favorite essential oil. The ratio should be about 15 drops of essential oil for each cup of baking soda. You can use just one scent, or you can mix two or three essential oils to achieve the desired aroma. Make sure you use essential oils, and not fragrance oils (which are cheaper, but are synthetic).

Step 2: Place your scented baking soda carpet powder in a container suited for sprinkling, such as a repurposed canning jar (with holes in the lid) or a large spice container with a shaker lid.

Step 3: Complete steps one through six listed above.

**If you are using essential oils, it is even more important that you keep animals and children off of the carpet until you have removed this DIY carpet deodorizer.

Well, apparently lots of folks. Just not me. For years I dried my clothes with dryer sheets without once giving a thought to animal products being in them. Of course, I was naturally concerned about the company producing them and whether or not they tested on animals, but it never even occurred to me that I was drying my clothes with animal tallow. Dis-gust-ing.

Obviously, as soon as I realized that even my eco-friendly dryer sheets were not-so-animal-friendly, I immediately set out to find a solution to my laundry dilemma. Fortunately, there are a number of vegan dryer sheets on the market now -- thanks to increased awareness and demand -- but you can also make your own or just not use them at all. At first I switched to using distilled white vinegar as a fabric softener and I was pretty happy with it. It seems to get the soap out better and left our clothes and linens soft and fluffy, but my partner didn't like how the house smelled like vinegar every time I did laundry, or the little bit of vinegar smell still on the clothes after they came out of the dryer (although I swear I can't smell it). So, now I'm using nothing in the washer and just dryer balls that fluff the clothes up in the dryer.

We haven't had any problems with static cling and this seems to be a good solution for us. You can check out some other options for vegan, eco-friendly fabric softeners and dryer sheets (store bought and DIY) here.

(This was originally posted on my old blog in September 2008.)