19 Of the Most Practical Ways You Can Use Lemon Oil

19 Of the Most Practical Ways You Can Use Lemon Oil

The Many Uses for Lemon Essential Oil

Although I love pretty much every citrus fruit, I do have a special place in my heart for lemon, and not only because it's one of my all-time favorite scents and flavors. It certainly doesn’t hurt that lemon essential oil (one of my favorite oils, along with lavender, peppermint, and tea tree) is so useful around the house!

To give you an idea of all the great ways you can put it to good use, I picked some of the best ones to share with you today. Below, you’ll learn about 19 ways to use lemon essential oil around the house, including treating laundry stains, cleaning greasy messes, and much more!

19   Practical Ways to Use Lemon Oil 1. Sanitize Your Toothbrush

Add a drop of lemon oil to your toothbrush about once a week. It will help sanitize and deodorize your toothbrush (an important aspect of oral health), plus help keep your mouth fresh and clean!

2. Treat Nail Fungus

Lemon oil makes a great treatment for fingernail and toenail fungus. Just add a drop or two to the affected nail several times a day as needed.

3. Eliminate Food Odors

Are food odors lingering in your kitchen? Just bring a small pot of water to a boil on your stovetop, and then add a few drops of lemon essential oil to the simmering water. The steam will carry the citrus aroma into the air and freshen it in no time!

4. Remove Gum From Hair

When someone has gum in their hair, lemon essential oil can be a real lifesaver! Work a few drops of lemon oil into the gum to loosen it from the hair, adding more oil as needed until you're able to pull the gum free.

5. Wash Your Produce

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 2–3 drops of lemon oil to make a simple and effective product wash. Swish your fresh produce around in the water to remove dirt and grime and enjoy clean, healthy fruits and vegetables.

6. Kill Aphids

Kill aphids and other pesky little bugs on contact with a simple oil spray. Fill a big glass spray bottle with water; add 3-5 drops of lemon essential oil, then shake to combine. (The oil and water will separate over time, so just be sure to shake it up again before each use.)

7. Personalize A Letter

Add a dab of lemon oil to the envelope the next time you send a letter or card in the mail. The recipient will love the little personal touch!

8. Make Your Dishes Sparkle

Add a drop of lemon oil to your natural dish soap or your dishwasher detergent when you run a load of dishes. There are a couple of benefits to this: they’ll come out sparkling clean, and they’ll smell nice and fresh too!

Related:  13 Highly Practical Essential Oil Cleaning Hacks You Need To Know

9. Clean your Hands

Out and about and forgot to bring your hand sanitizer along? A drop of lemon oil can help sanitize your hands in a pinch!

Related: Make These to Keep Your Hands Germ Free On the Go

10. Highlight Your Hair

You can use the photosensitivity of lemon essential oil to your benefit by using it to highlight your hair. Just work a drop or two of lemon oil through your hair with a brush or comb before spending time in the sun. (Just be careful to keep the oil well away from your scalp—having lemon oil on your skin out in the sun can lead to serious burns.)

11. Clean Hard Floors

Add 5-10 drops of lemon essential oil and 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water then dip your mop into the solution and use it to clean hard floors. If your floors are especially dirty, add a few drops of dish soap to help cut through the grease and grime.

Note: When cleaning with vinegar, especially on porous surfaces like hardwood floors, it’s important to dilute it properly to avoid accidental damage.

12. Treat Calluses & Corns

Lemon essential oil is great for softening and exfoliating areas of tough, dry skin like corns and calluses. Rub a drop of lemon oil onto a corn or callus daily until it disappears.

13.    Freshen the Air

Fill a small spray bottle with distilled water, add 6 drops of lemon essential oil, then shake well. Use the spray to freshen the air in your bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, or any room around the house.

Related: This Is the Easiest Way to Freshen Up Any Room

14. Soften Dry Heels

Add a drop of lemon oil to a teaspoon of your favorite carrier oil and massage it onto the soles of your feet before bed. Repeat nightly as needed for softer, more moisturized feet!

15. Erase Greasy Marks

Use 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil to erase oily marks left behind by gum, oil, grease, or crayons. This works well on most hard surfaces! (It actually works on fabrics too

16. Boost Your Mood

Feeling a little blue? Add lemon essential oil to your diffuser and your disposition will be sunnier before you know it!

17. Deodorize Your Fridge

Add a few drops of lemon oil to a fresh box of baking soda and place it in your fridge or freezer. The baking soda will absorb unpleasant odors and replace it with the fresh scent of citrus.

18. Breathe Easier

Add a few drops of lemon oil to your humidifier to help ease a cough or other respiratory symptoms.

19. Shine & Protect Leather

Add a drop of lemon oil to your cloth whenever you polish or condition leather items, including shoes, bags, jackets, or even sofas. The lemon oil will add shine and help prevent the leather from splitting.