What are lemons good for? You are probably surprised by the question. Lemons are one of the main sources of the vitamin C our bodies need. They can be eaten in many ways: with rice, in soup, in salads, as a drink or as a pickle, and nothing beats them for sharpening the appetite. But lemons are useful for much more than eating. Here are some of their amazing uses.

• Brilliant white clothes: White clothes don't look good unless they are bright white, and dust and dirt often make them look grey. Brighten them with lemon: soak the garment in a mixture of lemon and baking soda for at least half an hour, then wash it.
• Skin care: Lemon juice is very effective at reducing signs of ageing, removing unwanted marks and even reducing the tendency to acne. A mix of lemon and sugar makes a great scrub that will relieve many skin problems.
• Manicure: Unclean nails spoil your looks, and nothing beats lemon for keeping nails healthy and attractive. Add a few drops of lemon juice to hot water and use it for a manicure. Your nails will stay clean.
• Better digestion: Has your digestion been upset for days, and nothing you try is working? Drink a glass of warm water mixed with honey on an empty stomach. The habit will relieve digestive problems, keep your immune system healthy and help you lose extra fat.
• Making a cleaner: Squeeze all the juice from a lemon and mix it with 150 millilitres of vinegar. Leave it overnight, then put the mixture in a spray bottle and use it to clean things around the house.
• Removing shoe odour: Many people's shoes smell because of sweat. There is an easy fix: leave lemon peel inside the shoes, and the smell will be gone in a single night.
• Starting plants: Used lemon peel can be used for planting. Cut a lemon in half and scoop out everything inside, juice and all, leaving just the peel. Fill it with soil and sow a seed; leaves will sprout within a few days.
• Repelling insects: Lemons can drive insects out of the house. Stick a few cloves into a lemon cut in half and leave it in a corner of the room, and insects will soon disappear. Put it wherever ants are a nuisance in the kitchen, and you will be free of them.
• Candle holder: Cut a lemon in half and remove everything inside, including the juice. The peel makes an unusual candle holder.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.