If you have tons of limes lying around, here's how you can use them.
What Can't They Do? 9 Helpful Uses for Limes
When you think of limes, you think about key lime pie, right? But those pretty green citrus fruits can do far more than make food delicious. Because they have higher concentrations of sugar and citric acid than lemons, they’re useful around the house in so many ways.
1. Deodorizing
To take advantage of a lime’s pleasing floral-citrus aroma, make an air-freshening spray by filling a plastic spray bottle with a quart of water and one tablespoon of lime juice. Mist any target area to make unpleasant odors vanish like magic. If you have a fireplace and want to get rid of smoky smells, toss a handful of lime peels into the embers.
2. Keep Sliced Fruit Fresh
After you make or buy a bowl of cut fruit, it doesn’t take long for it to start turning brown. Squeeze a little lime juice on top and they’ll stay colorful, vibrant and appetizing.
3. Separate Rice
When you put on a pot of boiling water to make rice, add a squeeze of lime juice to it, and your rice won’t stick together.
4. Take Stains Out of Clothes
In the laundry room, fill a sink with lukewarm water then stir in ¼ cup baking soda and ¼ cup lime juice to make a fabric-safe soak that erases stains. Equal parts water and lime juice can wipe out those ugly armpit and collar stains that won’t come out with laundry soap alone.
5. Mouthwash
If you mix a teaspoon of lime juice with some water, then gargle, it will lower the pH inside your mouth, killing odor-causing bacteria.
6. Coffee Pot Cleaner
Tart lime juice will remove stains from inside your coffee pot. Simply fill the pot with water and squeeze in some lime juice. Let it sit for an hour and then rinse.
7. Cutting Boards
Rub some juice on cutting boards and counters. Not only will you sanitize them, you’ll remove those ugly stains too.
8. Lighten Hair
Lime juice can add blond streaks to your hair! Use a mixture of ¼ cup lime juice and ¾ cup water, spray it over freshly washed hair, and sit in a sunny spot until your hair dries.
9. Wart Remover
Mix equal parts of water and lime juice, then dip a cotton swab in the mixture. But don’t spill it out. Coat the wart three or four times a day. After a few days, the juice will totally dissolve the unsightly wart.
