By Lisa Barthuly
Lemon essential oil uses are countless; it is truly an all-purpose oil. For the sake of this article, we’ll show you the top ten ways to use it in your home– from your kitchen to your bathroom.
What is Lemon Essential Oil?
Lemon essential oil uses a cold-pressed extraction method from the rind and takes about 3000 lemons to make 1 kilo of oil. It has an uplifting, invigorating, citrusy lemon scent and delivers serious results in your home! Lemon is antifungal, antiviral, astringent, antiseptic, and a tonic. I use lemon essential oil daily; it’s one of those “foundational” oils that can do almost anything!
Top Lemon Essential Oil Uses
A Healthy Beverage
Add a couple of drops to a glass of water to refresh, detox, and flush your body.
Laundry Boost
Add a few drops to your wash water—not directly on clothing—for a fresh scent, whitening boost, and germ killer.
Homemade Furniture Oil
1/2 pint olive oil and 5–10 drops of lemon essential oil make a wonderful homemade furniture oil to hardwoods.
Cough Relief
A mug of hot water, a couple drops of lemon essential oil and splash of honey; mix well and sip to calm the worst cough.
Household Disinfectant
Grab a clean, empty sprayer bottle (12 oz. or so) and fill 90% with your choice of water or vinegar or a little of both. Add 30 drops of lemon essential oil and you just made your own disinfecting spray cleaner! I use this everywhere: countertops, bathroom, appliances—you name it, this will clean it.
Seasonal Allergy Relief
Diffuse lemon essential oil with lavender and peppermint for seasonal allergy relief.
“Homemade Bleach”
Combine
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
- 20 drops of lemon essential oil
Store in dark place, well labeled, and away from the children.
Lemon Frosting
Mix 2–3 drops into your homemade frosting for an amazing lemony frosting—what a treat!
Fruit and Veggie Wash
Fill your clean sink with water, toss in your produce, 5 drops of lemon essential oil and a splash of vinegar. Soak 15–20 minutes. The lemon essential oil helps to remove toxins and chemicals!
Antiseptic Spray
Fill a 12 oz. spray bottle 80% with filtered water, add 10 drops of lemon essential oil, 5 drops of Melaleuca (tea tree) oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and 10 drops of frankincense essential oil. Shake well and spray directly on scrapes and cuts. This spray helps to kill germs, decrease swelling and pain, and speed the healing process.
Those are just a few lemon essential oil uses. Care for your family naturally with essential oils—they are multipurpose and so effective. They are God’s gift to us, to care for our bodies and our environment. Learn how to make your own essential oil or shop for high-quality products at your local apothecary.
Lisa lives in the mountains of the American Redoubt with her family. To learn more about essential oils, stop by her blog at www.HomesteadOriginals.com or visit her Oil Shop.
These are really good ideas: I hadn’t thought of using lemon for laundry–of course!
A word of caution: when choosing a spray bottle, be sure it’s metal or glass. The acidity of this oil will chew away at plastic.
Hi Carolyn!
Glass is really ideal (little secret–the Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar bottles are perfect with most standard sized sprayers 🙂 however I’ve used the same plastic bottles for over 7 years –and altho they won’t last as long as glass would– they hold up fine. Someday, I want to get some amber glass bottles…but for now, my old plastic ones still work.
I can say, using lemon EO in Styrofoam—not a good idea. I had a bad cough in congregation once and got some hot tea water and went to drop a few drops of lemon EO in it to calm my cough as I took my first sip– the lemon literally ate a hole in the Styrofoam, and dripped down my dress! LOL
PURE lemon EO– good stuff!!
Thanks for stopping by Carolyn!
Lisa