Lemon and Lemon Vitality ™ essential oils are superheroes in the kitchen. They can combat an endless variety of kitchen catastrophes with their bright, freshening power. We’ve put together these all too familiar situations to help you see just how they can save the day:

Lemon Essential OilBeat bad smells

You’ve just arrived home from a weeklong family trip. You open the door from the garage and are met with the aroma of low tide on a 98-degree day in New Jersey. The culprit? That tuna casserole you threw in the trash bin and forgot to take outside before you left. Before you reach for the kerosene and matches (the house is obviously doomed at this point), you remember the bottle of Lemon essential oil you keep next to the sink. You take the trash out, open the windows, and add a few Lemon-saturated cotton balls to the bottom of the bin. Not only is the smell gone, but now you’re not sure if you’re in a kitchen or a blossoming orchard of lemon trees.

Choose the right refreshment

On a hot summer night, nothing sounds better than a refreshing cold treat. In the freezer, you have a carton of your favorite tropical-fusion ice cream, but you also have all the ingredients to make homemade fro-yo that will be a lot kinder to your waistline and wellness. You combine frozen coconut yogurt, mangos, oranges, a kiss of honey, and a couple drops of Lemon Vitality in a blender, and in no time, you have a warm-weather treat you can feel great about.

Brighten your mood

It’s 7 a.m. on a rainy Monday. You’re in the kitchen pulling out bowls and spoons for cereal, and you hear the kids running around upstairs fighting over who knows what. You didn’t get to bed until way too late last night because you had to finish the last episode of your favorite show, and you’re filled with regret. You’re tempted to just walk upstairs, hop back into bed, and let the children fend for themselves. As a final, last-ditch effort, you add a few drops of Lemon essential oil to your diffuser. You pause and inhale slowly and deeply. A warm, bright aroma fills your senses. You feel your spirits rise, and you’re able to greet your kiddos with a smile (or at least not a scowl).

Save your sink

The kitchen sink is doing that thing again. The first time you smelled it, you checked to make sure the family hamster was safe in its cage because it smelled liked something had died. Then you realized—though hard to believe—it was just the smell of normal food buildup. Luckily, you know exactly how to tackle this without any bleach or other harsh chemicals: first baking soda, then vinegar, rinse it all down with water, and finish with a dozen drops of pure Lemon essential oil. In less than five minutes, that putrid smell is replaced with the lovely, fresh scent of pure lemons!

Create divine desserts

Lemon VitalityYour in-laws are coming over for dinner for the first time tonight. You’ve spent the last four hours getting everything prepped for the perfect dinner, and now you’re trying to decide what to make for dessert. You want to finish the night off with a confection to remember, one that will lock in that great in-law reputation for good. You pull out your secret weapon, Lemon Vitality essential oil, and go on to make the most vibrant and flavorful lemon pound cake that you—or any of your guests—have ever tasted. Who knew you could win brownie points with lemon cake?

Special thanks to Kristina Barbee for her help with this post.